When you live in Aroostook County, you learn to make the best of the long trips down state.

Take the Houlton softball team, for example. The Shiretowners, due to play this morning in the Class C state championship game in Gorham, were scheduled to hit the Interstate at around 11 a.m. Friday. Coach Bruce Nason planned to take the team to a Portland Sea Dogs game at Hadlock Field later in the evening.

Although Nason scheduled the Sea Dogs game into the trip in part because the girls had never seen a minor league game, there was another purpose in the side trip to Portland.

“Anything to try and take their minds off the game,” Nason said Thursday.

The Shiretowners, who got another solid game from pitcher Natasha Ritchie in winning the Eastern Maine Class C title earlier this week, will have the daunting task of taking on Western Maine champion Sacopee Valley of Hiram, which has its own standout in Michelle Libby.

All four softball state champions will be decided Saturday. The Houlton-Sacopee matchup will be held at Gorham starting at 11 a.m. The Class A game between Brewer and Portland follows at 4 p.m.

At Brewer’s Coffin Field, Ashland takes on Richmond in the Class D final at noon. The Class B game between Winslow and Maranacook of Readfield will start at 4 p.m.

The Shiretowners will be playing for their first state title since 1982 when Houlton was in Class A. Sacopee is the defending Class C champion and has won two other state games.

To get to the state final, the Shiretowners knocked off defending EM champion Central of Corinth 5-3 Tuesday. Ritchie scattered eight hits, struck out 12, and walked two.

Ritchie has fanned 32 and given up 16 hits and four runs in three playoff games. Her best game came in the quarterfinals in which she shut down Stearns of Millinocket 6-0 with three hits and 12 strikeouts.

She has allowed about one earned run per game this year.

“She’s throwing pretty good right now,” Nason said. “[Against Central] Natasha settled in, got into trouble a few times with some errors from her teammates, but she bounced back and did a good job, held them, and we scored a few times. We had a little bit of luck and we beat them.”

Houlton’s top hitters include center fielder Anna Lenentine, who is batting around .500, shortstop-pitcher Michelle Ives (about .350), and Ritchie (about .450). The rest of the team has been getting hits in key situations, Nason added.

Ives was 4-0 as a pitcher this year. Senior first baseman Alyssa Foster helps anchor a solid defense.

Next up for the Shiretowners is the Libby-led Sacopee team. Nason hasn’t done much scouting, but he knew enough to get out a pitching machine Thursday and crank it up so that the Houlton batters would get used to higher speeds.

“We’re just gonna see how she pitches,” he said. “If she’s really fast, we’ll try to shorten up the game, try to make good contact, and put the ball into play. We’ll see what happens that way.”

Portland, winner of six Class A state championships, meets Brewer, which is playing for its first. The Bulldogs won back-to-back titles in 2000-01.

Portland edged Scarborough 3-1 in the Western Maine Class A final. Senior Kate Brown one-hit the Red Storm in 6 1/3 innings, and sophomore Katie Hutchins earned the save, coming in after Brown gave up a bases-loaded walk in the seventh.

Brewer can start either of its two standout pitchers, junior Sarah DeFilipp or freshman Jordan McLain. The Witches have had strong defense all year, but their hitting seems to be coming together now -Brewer pounded out 15 hits against Brunswick in a 10-1 Eastern Maine championship win.

The 1996 champion Hornets will contend with the Bobcats, who are seeking their first state championship since 1995.

Richmond edged North Yarmouth Academy 5-1 Thursday night for the Western Maine crown. The Bobcats, who have won 11 of their last 12 games, are led by pitcher Sarah Coonradt. She tossed a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

Because of the small number of teams in Western Maine Class D, Richmond had a bye through the quarterfinals. Coonradt threw a three-hitter in the semifinal against Greenville.

Ashland has relied on hitting and moving runners to win games this year. In three playoff contests, the Hornets have scored 49 runs on 42 hits with solid efforts coming from catcher Cora Campbell, outfielders Amber Smith, Danielle Long, and Beth Chamberlain, infielders Ashley Nemer and Ashlee Peters, and designated player Danielle Long.

Pam Spooner has been Ashland’s top pitcher this year.

Winslow takes on a Maranacook team that got a 3-0 win over Lake Region of Naples. Black Raiders sophomore Abby Pullen tossed a one-hitter with seven strikeouts and four walks. Maranacook took advantage of three Laker errors to score three unearned runs.

The Class B game will be a meeting of two recent powers. Eastern Maine champion Winslow appeared in three state finals from 1995-97 before finally winning the crown in 1998.

The Black Bears were the 1999 state champs but fell in the 2000 state game.