Medomak Valley’s softball team settled for the State Class B runner-up trophy for the second straight year. Fryeburg won the State Class B softball re-match with Medomak Valley on Saturday 2-1 in eight innings at St. Joseph’s College in Standish.
The eighth seed Panthers worked their way through the East B tournament, picking off Foxcroft 17-0, No. 1 Mattanawcook 4-3 in 11 innings, No. 4 Bucksport 6-4 in eight innings, and No. 7 Erskine Academy 4-1 in the Eastern Maine finals to advance to the State finals against West B third seed Fryeburg (18-1).
In 2008, the Lady Panthers also worked their way to the state championship from the eighth seed, only to lose to Fryeburg in the finals on errors.
Errors were not a factor this year in the state re-match, as the two teams battled through eight errorless innings, before the Raiders strung together three hits in the bottom of the 8th to win.
The game also featured a re-match between pitchers Hannah Hill (14K, 1B, 3H) and Kayla Vannah (7H, 2B, 4K). Hill struck out 14 in the win for Fryeburg.
The Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 4th inning when Brylie Walker singled, moved to third on sacrifices from Heather Tripp and Ariel McConkey and scored on a Tanya Randall double.
Medomak tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the 5th inning. Rachel Keefe hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a Kayla Santheson single and scored on a Kasey Benner bunt. Benner was safe at first for a single on the controversial play.
With no outs and runners on second and third, Medomak was unable to get the job done at the plate, stranding both base runners. The only other Panther base runner in the game was Mallory Conary, who drew a 3rd inning walk, before being thrown out at second on a steal attempt.
Medomak got out of runners in jams in four innings. In the 5th with a runner on third and two outs, Kasey Benner ran down a line drive behind the third base bag to end the inning. In the bottom of the 7th, Mallory Conary caught a bunt pop-fly, then threw to first to complete the double play. The double play came shortly after Conary was smacked with a foul ball off the bat of Keefe in the top of the inning. The foul hit the cement wall inside the dugout and ricocheted off and clipped Conary soundly in the shoulder.
Tessa Dodge caught a fly ball to end regulation and send the game into an extra inning.
Conary made six putouts at the hot spot at third in the game. Dodge made four putouts at second, Benner two at shortstop, and Keefe three in centerfield to lead the Panthers’ defense.
Fryeburg won the game in the bottom of the 8th. Hill helped her own cause with a leadoff single. Walker reached on a fielder’s choice, and Heather Tripp drew a rare walk to load up the bases for a walk off single from McConkey that scored Hill for the winning run.
Hitting for Medomak were Keefe with a double, and Benner and Santheson a single each. Hitting for Fryeburg were Randall a double, and Hill, Walker, A. McConkey, Maggie McConkey, Kelsey Sheehan, and Ellen Head a single each.
“We were right there. It was a heck of a game. I told the girls to go in there with no fear. They poured their hearts into it. We were in it right up to the last inning. We came that close again this year. We’ll be back. We’ve still got good pitching in Kayla Santheson. These girls have a lot of heart. It all came down to how they battled at the plate. They did what they had to do. They gave it their best shot. They didn’t get down (when Fryeburg took the lead). They battled back and tied it up. That’s all I wanted was to tie it up and have a new game. I have got to give Fryeburg credit, they put the ball in play,” coach Glenn Barbour commented.
Medomak finished the season with a 16-5 record. They out scored their opponents 123-39 this season. Vannah finished with a 10-4 record and Santheson with a 6-1 record.
Dodge led the Panthers at the plate with 28 hits, including three homeruns, three triples and seven doubles for 23 RBI.
Santheson had 19 hits and 18 RBI, Vannah 17 hits and 12 RBI, Davis nine hits, four RBI, Benner 11 hits, four RBI, Lindsay Ranquist seven hits and seven RBI, Mallory Conary seven hits, seven RBI, Jessica Koon six hits, three RBI, and Kelsi Severson four hits and six RBI.