Two Scarborough teams, softball and girls’ lacrosse, were eliminated from the playoffs last week, but heading into press time for this edition, two more squads, baseball and boys’ lacrosse, still entertained title hopes.
It’s been quite a week and here’s what you might have missed:
Baseball
Junior ace Erik Swenson was expected to get the start when Scarborough’s baseball team met Falmouth in the Class A South Final. File photo.
Scarborough’s baseball team, the top-ranked team in Class A South after a 15-1 season, brushed off its recent early round tournament bad luck by reaching the regional final.
The Red Storm first got past No. 9 Gorham, 3-1, in last Thursday’s quarterfinal round. Ace Erik Swenson went 6.2 innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out a dozen. Mason Porter scored all three runs and Patrick McCue had the lone RBI.
Next up was nemesis Marshwood in the semifinals Saturday. The Hawks had beaten Scarborough in the quarterfinals in both 2022 and 2023, but this time, the Red Storm prevailed, 5-2, to improve to 17-1 on the season. Zak Sanders came on in relief of Ryan Shugars in the second inning and pitched six innings of relief to earn the victory and paced the offense with two hits and two RBI.
“We knew me and (Ryan) Shugars were pitching,” Sanders said. “We just didn’t know who was going first. I was ready to go.”
“It’s playoffs. We knew we’d have to use two guys today,” said Scarborough coach Wes Ridlon. “Zak throws a lot of strikes. He finished strong for us. He gets stronger. At the end of the day, he’s a competitor, and you can’t measure that on the radar gun. It’s all heart with him. Ryan pitched great the first inning and pitched well the second inning. It’s just a matter of, in the playoffs, you have a short leash.”
Finn Coburn added two hits and two runs scored.
The Red Storm battled No. 2 Falmouth (15-3) in the Class A South Final Tuesday. Scarborough won the regular season meeting, 2-1, May 16, on the road. The teams had split two prior playoff meetings, with a 3-1 Red Storm victory in the 2019 semifinals the most recent. Swenson was expected to get the start for Scarborough.
“I know he’s excited and ready to go,” Ridlon said. “He’s that momentum for us. We feel we’re in every game any time he has the baseball in his hands.”
If the Red Storm reach the Class A state final for the first time since 2019, they will battle either Messalonskee (15-3) or Bangor (11-6-1) Saturday at 1 p.m., in Augusta.
Boys’ lacrosse
Scarborough teammates chase Olin Pedersen, right, as he runs to his goalie Ben Kerbel after scoring in overtime to give the Red Storm an 11-10 win over Deering in a Class A state quarterfinal. Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald
Scarborough’s boys’ lacrosse team was just 0-3 at one juncture this season, but has won 11 of 13 games since. The Red Storm, seeded fifth for the Class A playoffs, eliminated No. 12 Oxford Hills, 13-4, in the state preliminary round, then eked out an inspirational 11-10 overtime win at No. 4 Deering Friday in the quarterfinals. Olin Pedersen played the hero, scoring 24 seconds into OT and standout goalie Ben Kerbel made 14 clutch saves.
“I didn’t want to get in the box too early,” said Pedersen. “I was able to set my dodge where I was comfortable. Great team win. Against Oxford Hills (in the first round), we started slow. We didn’t do much of the little things early. Today, we stuck to our game.”
“Basically, put the ball in our best player’s stick, and let him go win the game,” Scarborough coach Zac Barrett said. “The hardest thing for the guys during the game today was staying calm, staying composed. The stakes were high and they realized it. They put a lot of pressure on themselves, and managing that was the hardest thing. But they stepped up and made some plays.”
The Red Storm advanced to battle top-ranked Falmouth (14-1) in the state semifinals. On April 19, during its early-season troubles, Scarborough lost at home to the Navigators, 14-2. Falmouth also prevailed in the teams’ only prior playoff meeting, 15-4, in last year’s state quarterfinals.
If the Red Storm sprung the upset and advanced to the Class A state final Friday night at Fitzpatrick Stadium, they would meet either No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (12-3), the three-time reigning state champion, or third-seeded Thornton Academy (12-3).
Girls’ lacrosse
Scarborough’s girls’ lacrosse team wasn’t as fortunate.
The Red Storm, ranked 12th in Class A, was eliminated last Wednesday at No. 5 Gorham, 13-6, to finish the year 6-9. Madison Howes and Avery Larsen both scored twice and goalie Cora Furr made 10 saves.
Softball
Scarborough’s softball team, ranked sixth in Class A South, closed the regular season on five-game surge, stayed hot in the early rounds of the playoffs, eliminating No. 11 Marshwood in dramatic fashion in the preliminary round, rallying for a 6-5 win, then upsetting No. 3 Gorham, 6-1 in last Thursday’s quarterfinals. Gabby Pelletier allowed just one run on three hits in a complete game effort and had two hits and two runs scored. Samantha Cote also scored twice, while Alana Sawyer had two hits and drove in a run. The Red Storm’s run finally ended Saturday morning with an 8-0 loss at No. 2 Cheverus and its freshman ace, Addison DeRoche, this year’s Maine Gatorade Player of the Year. Scarborough couldn’t muster a hit as it finished the year 13-6.
“I thought the kids were loose,” Scarborough first-year coach Brian Rice said. “They knew what we wanted to do. Obviously, the key to beating Cheverus is you have to hit Addison. Unfortunately, she was much better than we were today.”
It was the end of a spirited run for the Red Storm, who overcame season-ending injuries to top pitcher Natalie Moynihan and third baseman Sophia Rinaldi.
“From where they started, to peak at the right time and start playing to their potential, it was a wild ride,” Rice said. “We’ve got some good talent coming up. I think it’s a fantastic starting point for us.”
Outdoor track
Scarborough’s girls’ outdoor track team, coming off a Class A state title, sent four athletes to compete at last weekend’s New England championship meet, held in Durham, New Hampshire.
Laurel Driscoll led the way with a third-place showing in the mile (4 minutes, 56.69 seconds). Emerson Flaker was fifth in the 400 (56.06 seconds) and seventh in the 200 (25.43). Isabella Harmon tied for 12th in the high jump (5 feet) and came in 14th in the pole vault (10-9). Kyleigh Record placed 14th in the 800 (2:20.53).
In the boys’ competition, Dylan Brown excelled in the javelin, placing fifth (172 feet). Ethan Keller finished 23rd in the two-mile (9:52.52). Miguel Torres was 26th in the javelin (138-11). The Red Storm’s 4×800 relay team placed 11th (8:12.39).
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