Brewer seeks first state crown Medomak, Calais, Bangor Christian also to play for titles

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In the 30 years a state champion has been decided in Class A softball, no team north of Waterville has brought home the illustrious crown.

The Brewer Witches can change that today, as they’ll make their fourth appearance in a state championship, the last coming in 2004.

Coach Harry “Skip” Estes’ club, winner of 13 straight, takes on Western Maine champion Biddeford at 4 p.m. at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish.

That game will be preceded by the 11 a.m. Class C contest between Calais and defending state champ Georges Valley of Thomaston.

At Coffin Field in Brewer, Bangor Christian faces Buckfield in the Class D final at 11 a.m. while Medomak Valley of Waldoboro takes on Fryeburg Academy in Class B at 4 p.m.

In Class A, both the Witches and Tigers are riding the momentum of regional-final victories over close rivals.

Brewer outlasted Bangor 2-1 in the East final Tuesday and features hard-throwing sophomore righthander Melanie Judkins (11-1) and strong offensive punch up and down the lineup.

Judkins has been strong all season, sporting an 0.80 earned run average and 147 strikeouts in 87 innings.

The Witches have not trailed in a game this postseason and Judkins has allowed only two earned runs in three games.

Leadoff batter Sarah Risser has four stolen bases and four runs scored in postseason play, while Emily Fraser has done a solid job out of the No. 9 slot with three stolen bases and a run scored in the EM final.

Brewer’s lineup is dangerous from 1 through 9, and the Witches have been balanced throughout the playoffs, as every starter has scored at least one run.

Biddeford ended Scarborough’s 42-game winning streak in the regional final. Savannah Brownell had a perfect game through five innings and one-hit the Red Storm.

The Tigers are no strangers to this stage, as they won the state title in 2006, defeating Cony of Augusta 5-2.

This game figures to be a classic pitchers’ duel between two of the state’s best.

In Class B, Medomak Valley, the eighth seed in the East, defeated one of Maine’s top pitchers in Ashley Kelley of Hermon and perennial power Winslow to reach the state final.

Medomak is making its first state championship appearance since 1999 when it was in Class A, while the Raiders have never played in a state title game. Medomak captured the state Class A title in 1995.

The Panthers piled up 11 runs on 12 hits in the regional- final victory over the Black Raiders. They are led by Tessa Dodge, who was 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs against Winslow, along with Miranda Conary, Melissa Ambridge and Kayla Santheson.

Attempting to shut down that lineup will be Maine’s Player of the Year, Fryeburg ace Hannah Hill.

Hill threw a one-hitter in the regional final against Cape Elizabeth and throws in the mid-to-high 60s (mph).

In Class C, Georges Valley is gunning for back-to-back championships while Calais is making its first appearance here since the 1995 season.

The Blue Devils have never won a state championship.

Coach Greg Smith’s Blue Devils have received consistent pitching from Tessa Clark all spring, and they got a huge victory by defeating rival Sumner of East Sullivan in the regional final.

The Tigers had knocked the Blue Devils out of the playoffs the previous three seasons.

Shannon Brown, Honor Wilkinson and Nicole Osborne were instrumental at the plate for Calais in the Eastern Maine final.

The Bucs’ Danielle Frye has pitched lights-out ball in the playoffs with two shutouts, including one of Telstar of Bethel in the Western Maine final.

In Class D, if Jillian French pitches against Buckfield the way she did against Ashland in the Eastern Maine final, the BC Patriots could very well be hoisting the first state championship trophy in program history.

French pitched a one-hitter and struck out 14 Hornets in leading the Patriots to their first state-final appearance since 2001.

She’ll be opposed by Kelsey Farrington of Buckfield, who delivered in the clutch for the Bucks in the Western Maine final, pitching all eight innings while also delivering the game-winning RBI single in the top of the eighth against Richmond.

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

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