SOUTH PORTLAND—Scarborough’s softball team had been chasing a signature victory.
Wednesday afternoon at Wainwright Farms, the Red Storm got one.
Overcoming adversity, digging deep and getting some huge hits at the right time to get the best of rival and host South Portland.
The Red Riots jumped in front in the bottom of the first inning, when standout senior shortstop Ella Nickerson doubled and freshman centerfielder Annalise Soucy doubled her in.
Scarborough answered in the top of the second, when senior second baseman Jamie Kemper launched a pitch from junior Baylie Littlefield over the fence in leftfield for a game-tying home run.
Littlefield and Red Storm senior starter Meghan Robinson then kept the score 1-1 until the bottom of the fourth inning, when South Portland pushed across three runs, thanks to an RBI single from freshman rightfielder Jillian Edgar, a steal of home by senior catcher Chloe Whitten and an RBI double from Nickerson.
But Scarborough rose off the deck in the top of the fifth with a six-spot, sparked by a leadoff walk to No. 9 hitter, junior rightfielder Avery Charland. A key double from senior catcher Alana Sawyer set the stage for the tying run to come home on an error, then Kemper ripped a two-run triple to put her team in front to stay.
Robinson allowed a run in the bottom of the inning, but slammed the door from there and the Red Storm prevailed, 7-5.
Scarborough improved to 8-5 on the season and in the process, dropped the Red Riots to 9-3.
“When we fell behind today, it would have been easy to close up shop, but the kids didn’t panic and had no doubt,” said Scarborough first-year coach Brian Rice. “They were locked in.”
Resilience
Scarborough and South Portland have long been at or near the top of Class A and while the teams this spring are chasing reigning champion Windham and surging Cheverus, both are capable of beating anyone on a given day.
The Red Riots, who are back to being a stand-alone program this season after a co-op season with Westbrook in 2023, started with a 6-5 home win over Bonny Eagle, then rolled past host Noble (25-0, in three-innings) and visiting Deering (22-2, in three-innings) before knocking off host Marshwood (11-7), host Thornton Academy (13-4), visiting Gorham (2-1) and host Biddeford (10-7). South Portland came back to Earth with a 13-0 (five-inning) home loss to Cheverus, then bounced back to defeat visiting Portland (6-5) and Westbrook (17-4, in five-innings) before letting a late lead slip away Tuesday in a 6-5 setback at Massabesic.
The Red Storm, meanwhile, started by handling visiting Noble (17-0, in three-innings) and Thornton Academy (15-5, in six-innings). After a 6-0 loss at Cheverus, Scarborough fell at Bonny Eagle (9-7), but bounced back to knock off visiting Biddeford (14-3, in six-innings), host Deering (10-0, in five-innings) and visiting Falmouth (15-0, in four-innings). After a 2-1 loss at Gorham, the Red Storm beat visiting Massabesic (10-6), then lost at Portland (3-2) and at home to Windham (5-0) before bouncing back Monday to down host Westbrook (12-5).
Last year, South Portland/Westbrook won at Scarborough, 10-7. It marked the first time the Red Riots had beaten the Red Storm since the 2012 Western A Final.
Wednesday, on a cloudy but comfortable 67-degree afternoon, South Portland hoped for back-to-back victories over Scarborough for the first time since 2010-11, but instead, the Red Storm had the last laugh.
South Portland first baseman Rachel DiMauro records the out on Scarborough’s Laine Niles on a ground ball in the first inning of Wednesday’s contest. The Red Storm would prevail, 7-5. Hoffer photos.
Littlefield began the game in auspicious fashion, getting senior shortstop Samantha Cote to watch strike three, sophomore first baseman Laine Niles to ground out to short, then firing strike three past Robinson, her opposite number.
Nickerson then got the Red Riots started in the bottom half by launching a drive over the head of Red Storm junior centerfielder Gabby Pelletier, good for a double.
South Portland senior Ella Nickerson drives the ball deep to center.
Nickerson steams into second with a leadoff double.
Robinson got senior second baseman Phoebe Dodge to chase strike three, but Soucy came through, lining a double to right on the first pitch she saw to bring home Nickerson with the game’s first run. Robinson settled in and fanned senior third baseman Andrea DiMauro, then got Rachel DiMauro to pop back to the mound.
Scarborough then answered in the top of the second.
After Littlefield fired strike three past Sawyer and got sophomore rightfielder Taylor Swalla to ground out to short on the first pitch, Kemper came up and on a 2-2 pitch, launched a deep drive to left-center for a home run which sailed over the fence to tie the score.
Scarborough senior Jamie Kemper is greeted at home by her teammates after her second inning blast.
Freshman third baseman Vera DiSotto followed with a bloop single to center, but Littlefield got out of the inning by getting Pelletier to pop out to second..
In the bottom half, Robinson retired the side in order, getting Whitten to ground out to short, Edgar to line hard to third and Littlefield to chase strike three.
Charland led off the top of the third with an infield single to the right side, but Cote popped out to second and when Niles’ pop to right dropped in, Edgar threw to second for the force out. Robinson kept the inning alive with a single to right, putting runners at the corners, but Sawyer flew out to left to end the threat.
The Red Riots then squandered a chance in their half of the third.
Freshman leftfielder Maegan Berry beat out an infield single, then Nickerson walked before the pair pulled off a double steal. They’d be stranded, however. First, Dodge hit a ground ball to Cote at short. With Berry coming to the plate, Cote threw home and Berry got in a rundown. Sawyer threw to DiSotto, who threw home to Robinson covering for the out, with the runners taking second and third on the play. Soucy then fanned on a low pitch and Andrea DiMauro hit a soft liner to short to keep the game tied.
In the top of the fourth, Littlefield got Swalla to line out to second and after Kemper lined a single to left, DiSotto grounded into a short-to-second force out and Pelletier watched strike three.
South Portland then seemingly took a comfortable lead in the bottom half.
Rachel DiMauro got things started with a single to center on a 1-2 pitch, then Whitten reached on a bunt in front of the plate, as Sawyer threw to second but too late. Edgar was next and she lined a single to center on the first pitch, scoring DiMauro for the lead and putting runners at the corners. With Littlefield at the plate, Edgar took off and stole second and on the throw, Whitten came home to score. Littlefield struck out looking and Berry fanned, but Nickerson turned around a Robinson fastball and drove it deep to center, off the fence for a double, scoring Edgar. Dodge grounded out to second, but the Red Riots were in front, 4-1.
But not for long.
Charland fell behind in the count leading off the top of the fifth, but she’d fight back, work the count full, then draw a fateful walk.
“Baylie got a little tired,” said South Portland coach Drew DiMauro. “It’s tough when you walk the number nine hitter, but outside of that, she was on the spot for us today.”
Cote then lined a ball to center. Soucy raced in to catch it, but couldn’t hold on as she collided with Edgar, putting runners at first and third. Cote stole second and Niles lined out to second on a 3-2 pitch, but with Robinson at the plate, a wild pitch brought home Charland. Robinson then singled into the hole between short and third to score Cote. Sawyer was next and she ripped a shot to center, putting runners at second and third for Swalla, who hit a bouncer to Andrea DiMauro at third and when DiMauro couldn’t handle it, Robinson came in with the tying run. That set the stage for Kemper, who delivered again, this time lining a triple down the leftfield line to score both Sawyer and Swalla and put Scarborough ahead to stay.
Scarborough’s Jamie Kemper lines a go-ahead two-run triple.
“Jamie has missed some games with a sore shoulder, but she had some great at-bats today,” said Rice. “She’s a heck of a hitter. She’s a talented kid.”
The Red Storm weren’t done, as DiSotto lined a pitch up the middle to score Kemper. Pelletier was out on a bunt back to the mound, then Charland, who started all the trouble, flew out to center for the third out, but a three-run deficit had turned into a 7-4 lead.
“It was a pretty even game except for one tough inning where we had some breakdowns,” Drew DiMauro said.
South Portland did answer with one run in the bottom half.
Soucy led off with a single to left, but was thrown out trying to steal. Andrea DiMauro struck out for the second out, but Rachel DiMauro singled to center, then Whitten blooped a ball down the rightfield line which kicked into foul territory, allowing DiMauro to come around and score on the double. When Edgar beat out an infield hit, the tying runs were on, but Robinson bore down and caught freshman pinch-hitter Sadie Soucy looking at strike three.
Berry came on to pitch the top of the sixth and Scarborough threatened to add to its lead, as Cote led off with a bloop single to right, but she was thrown out trying to steal. After Niles struck out swinging, Robinson lined a single to center and Sawyer walked, but Swalla lined out to second for the third out.
In the bottom half, Robinson caught Berry looking at strike three, then fanned Nickerson, but Dodge singled to center and Annalise Soucy beat out an infield hit to put the tying runs on for Andrea DiMauro, who grounded into a short-to-second force out to retire the side.
The Red Storm went quietly in their half of the seventh, as Kemper, who only needed a double for the rarely-seen cycle, flew out to center, DiSotto popped out to short and Pelletier popped back to the mound.
Robinson then slammed the door, getting Rachel DiMauro to pop to second, Whitten to ground out to second and Edgar to do the same to complete the 7-5 victory.
“It’s a big win for us, finally,” said Rice. “We were close against Gorham and Portland, but we just hadn’t put it all together. We did today. Everyone contributed today. For us to win, it has to be everybody because we don’t have one superstar this year. We really needed this win. It’s good for Heal Points and for our team psyche.”
Scarborough’s offense was paced by three hits apiece from Kemper and Robinson. Cote and DiSotto each had a pair.
Kemper scored twice, while Charland, Cote, Robinson, Sawyer and Swalla all touched home plate once.
Kemper also had three RBI, while DiSotto and Robinson added one apiece.
The Red Storm left seven runners on base.
Robinson got the win despite giving up five runs on 13 hits. She only walked one and fanned 10.
“Meghan did well against Windham and against Portland and today, she gave us a really good effort,” said Rice. “She gave up some hits, but she came out and lit it up at the end.”
South Portland got three hits from Annalise Soucy and two each from Rachel DiMauro, Edgar, Nickerson and Whitten.
DiMauro also scored twice, while Edgar, Nickerson and Whitten scored one run apiece.
Edgar, Nickerson, Annalise Soucy and Whitten all had one RBI.
The Red Riots were hurt by leaving eight runners on base.
Littlefield took the loss, giving up seven runs on 10 hits in five innings. She walked one and struck out four.
Berry pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits and a walk, while fanning one.
“We’re still a young team, but we went down fighting,” said Drew DiMauro. “The past two games we’ve taken too many called third strikes. We have to get over that hump and give ourselves a fighting chance. Maegan did a good job and kept us in the game.
“We had a hot start, but we could have been 4-4. Things have been falling the wrong way for us the past couple days.”
Finishing kick
The road for South Portland (which was ranked third in Class A South Heal Points standings at press time) gets no easier, as it goes to Windham Friday and Kennebunk Monday before playing at Falmouth a week from Wednesday and closing at home versus Sanford Friday of next week.
“We have a tough challenge Friday,” said Drew DiMauro. “I love this group. We’ll get back to our winning ways. I believe we’re going to play our best come June.”
Scarborough (seventh in Class A South and poised to climb) is back in action Monday at Sanford. After hosting Kennebunk next Wednesday, the Red Storm close the regular season at home versus Marshwood a week from Friday.
“We won’t get complacent,” Rice said. “We want to go on a run and be a dangerous team.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
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