BREWER — The Winslow High School softball had seen this movie. Last week, in the first round of the Class B North playoffs, the Black Raiders were the stars, rallying in the seventh inning to force extra innings. Now in the regional championship game, Winslow played the other role, with Nokomis coming back.
While allowing the Warriors to tie the game in their final at-bat twice, Winslow hung on, taking a 10-9, nine-inning win to advance to the Class B state championship game for the first time since 2007. The No. 8 seed in the North, Winslow (8-11) will face Cape Elizabeth at Brewer’s Coffin Field at 4 p.m., Saturday. No. 3 Nokomis ends the season at 14-6.
“I was a little bit nervous, only because we haven’t been in many situations where we’ve had to face the adversity of another team coming back and rallying on us. We’re used to doing that to people, but we haven’t had that come up. Nokomis, they fought like heck and really, really battled,” Winslow coach Kacey Larsen said.
After scoring four runs in the top of the fourth inning, the Black Raiders led 7-1. The Warriors began chipping away at the deficit with a run in the bottom of the fourth, and another in the bottom of the fifth, but saved the heavy lifting of the rally for the bottom of the seventh. Down 7-3, Hope Brooks started the Nokomis rally reaching base on an error. Back-to-back singles by Sydney King and Maya Cooney cut Winslow’s lead to 7-4.
Jordyn Condon reached on a walk, and then things got interesting. Nokomis scored three consecutive runs on wild pitches, with Condon scoring to tie the game, 7-7.
Winslow regained the lead with two runs in the top of the eighth on RBI singles from Lacey Sillanpaa and Leah Knight, but once again Nokomis rallied. Mandi King led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, then scored on an error. After doubling, Megan Watson scored on another wild pitch to tie the game 9-9.
“I was really surprised. I thought, crap, we’re down and out now,” Nokomis coach JD McLellan said on what he thought when his team trailed by six runs midway through the game, “but the girls just kept on pushing and pushing. This time, it just didn’t work out in the end.”
Winslow pitcher Emma Michaud celebrates her team’s victory after she struck out a Nokomis batter to end the extra innings during the Class B North championship game Wednesday in Brewer. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Winslow catcher Harley Pomerleau doubled to left field, scoring Jenna Libby with the go-ahead run. It was Pomerleau’s third consecutive double, after striking out in her first two at-bats.
“I was really nervous, I’m not going to lie, the first two times (up). The next three, I just knew I had to do it for my team, for my seniors. It could’ve been their last game,” Pomerleau said. “I was just looking to get a hit to get (Libby) home. Just looking for the RBI at that point.”
Added Larsen: “I’ve known (Pomerleau) for almost four years now, and that’s exactly the athlete I see in practice every day. I know it’s in there, and she knows it’s in there, and it’s always great when she can see that success. Especially coming off a rough start to the game.”
The Warriors had a chance to get out of the ninth unscathed, when right fielder Rachel Creswell caught a line drive off the bat of Lilly Harvey and nearly doubled off Libby at first base. The ball was dropped at first base though, giving the Black Raiders life and setting up Pomerleau.
Winslow first baseman Lilly Harvey snares a high throw to put out Nokomis runner Megan Watson at first base during the Class B North championship game Wednesday in Brewer. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel Buy this Photo
“That happens. It’s softball. As young as we are, those little small things will happen,” McLellan said.
In the bottom of the ninth, Winslow pitcher Emma Michaud retired the Warriors in order to send the Black Raiders to the state championship game. Michaud finished with 12 strikeouts, including three to escape a jam in the first inning. After Winslow scored three runs in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead, the Warriors looked as if they’d match the Black Raiders. But with one run in, the bases loaded, and nobody out, Michaud struck out three in a row to minimize the damage and maintain a 3-1 lead.
“For us all season it’s been like that. If we can hold them in the first inning, we usually can play a pretty solid game of softball,” Larsen said.
Nokomis had the winning run on third base in the bottom of the ninth, but Winslow right fielder Nevaeh Duplessie made a nice catch to end the threat.
Libby scored three runs for Winslow, while Sillanpaa scored twice. Mandi King scored three runs for the Warriors.
“They showed a little grit and held on,” Larsen said.
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