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STANDISH – When a state championship is on the line, it can be easy to fold under the pressure, particularly when facing an early deficit.
That was the predicament the Brewer High School softball team faced two innings into Saturday’s Class A state final against Biddeford.
But these Witches have earned three come-from-behind wins this spring, and a fourth would give them the ultimate prize: their first state championship trophy.
The resilient Witches responded and captured the title, pushing across three runs in the top of the third and adding another in the fifth for a 4-3 victory over the Tigers at Ward Field on the campus of Saint Joseph’s College.
“We’ve been composed all year long. We always know that once we get down we can always come back,” said junior shortstop Meghan McLain, who drove in what proved to be the winning run with a fifth-inning single while preserving the Witches’ lead with her glove in the sixth.
After the Tigers scored in the last of the fifth to close the gap to one, they threatened to tie it with two outs and a runner on third in the sixth when Cady Gagnon blooped a sinking popup that looked like it was going to drop, but McLain made a superb diving catch to end the inning.
“I knew I just had to knock it down and try to save the run from scoring,” she said.
Sophomore righthander Melanie Judkins retired the side in order in the seventh on just seven pitches to make Brewer just the second school north of Waterville to win a state Class A softball title. Houlton won the Class A crown in 1982.
It was Brewer’s fifth appearance in a state final since the Maine Principals’ Association started sanctioning the tourneys in 1977. The Witches lost in 1978, 1981, 1990 and 2004.
“It feels amazing. It’s a great way to end our senior year. Going home with the state championship is very meaningful,” said senior right fielder Katie Kenney, who caught the game’s final out.
The game started an hour late after thunderstorms rumbled through the area about two hours before the first pitch.
After Biddeford (17-4) struck first for two runs in the bottom of the second, the 19-1 Witches, who concluded the season on a 14-game win streak, went to work.
Jaimee Knowles and Emily Fraser stroked back-to-back singles and both scored as Sarah Risser hit a swinging bunt down the first-base line that was fielded and thrown wildly into right field.
Risser reached third on that play, and senior left fielder Dominique DeFilipp singled her in three pitches later to give the Witches the lead for good.
“We were definitely pumped up after we came back. We were a little down after they scored their first couple runs, but we bounced right back and got them back,” said second baseman Risser.
Judkins (12-1) had yet another solid outing for Brewer and worked her way out of two bases-loaded situations, one in the first inning and another in the fifth.
She was aided by great defensive plays, one a sliding catch by Fraser in center on a sinking liner to end the fourth and a force play by Allie DeFilipp at third on a hard grounder to end the fifth.
“Melanie did amazing. We had a couple of bases-loaded situations, but she got out of them,” Risser said.
“I thought the biggest part of the game was [in the first] where they had the bases loaded [with one out] and we got out of that,” said Witches coach Harry “Skip” Estes.
Judkins fanned consecutive batters to escape that inning without damage.
As has been the case throughout the playoffs, Brewer’s offensive output was balanced with six different players collecting one hit each while Fraser continued her fine play from the No. 9 spot in the order with two runs scored and a stolen base to go with her third-inning base hit.
“Our whole team does awesome. We’re a well-rounded team. That’s all we could ask for,” said Kenney. “We’ve got to give credit to every single person on this team.”
Estes certainly wasn’t panicking after his team got down by a couple of runs.
“What I love about this team the most is every time we’ve gotten in a tough situation they’ve never yelled at each other,” he said.
“They always support each other. The seniors have been great leaders on this team.”
When asked to describe what the championship means to him, Estes said, “It’s very emotional because when I took the job three years ago we were in a tough situation. This team really jelled as a team. They love each other.”
Judkins had eight strikeouts while walking only two batters.
Aimee Mortensen and Nikki Kimborowicz led Biddeford, each with three hits, an RBI and a run scored.
rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net
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WITCHES 4, TIGERS 3
Brewer (19-1) Biddeford (17-3)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
Risser, 2b 4 1 1 0 Mortensen, ss 4 1 1
D. DeFilipp, lf 4 0 1 1 Kimborowicz, cf 3 1
McLain, ss 3 0 1 1 Gagnon, 1b 4 0 0
Jackson, c 3 0 1 0 Grover, 2b 4 0 0
A. DeFilipp, 3b 3 0 0 0 McCarry, rf 4 0
Judkins, p 1 0 0 0 Rousseau, c 4 0 0
Simpson, pr 0 0 0 0 Gouin, dh 3 0 0
Ryan, ph 0 0 0 0 Daigneault, lf 2 1 0
Liberatore, dh 2 0 0 0 Naptel, 3b 3 0
Kenney, rf 1 0 0 0 Brownell, p 0 0 0
Knowles, 1b 3 1 1 0
Fraser, cf 3 2 1 0
Totals 27 4 6 2 Totals 31 3 8 2
Brewer 003 010 0 – 4
Biddeford 020 010 0 – 3
E-Kenney, A. DeFilipp; Brownell, Grover; LOB-Brewer 4, Biddeford 9; 2B-Kimborowicz; S-D. DeFilipp; Gagnon; SB-Jackson, Fraser; Mortensen, Daigneault
Brewer IP H R ER BB SO
Judkins (W, 12-1) 7 8 3 2 2 8
Biddeford IP H R ER BB SO
Brownell (L, 11-3) 7 6 4 1 2 11
HBP-Gouin (by Judkins); WP-Judkins 2; PB-Jackson; T-2:02; ATT-550 (est.)
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