PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—The Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) softball team advanced to the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) championship game to suffer defeat 2-1 by the #1-seeded NHTI Lynx at Leary Field on Saturday, May 4.
Prior to the games, it was announced SMCC landed three players to the YSCC All-Conference team:
- Sophomore captain Sara Ring (Wells, Maine)
- Sophomore Morgan Boyle (Portland, Maine)
- Pitcher and Player of the Year: sophomore captain Meranda Martin (Richmond, Maine)
- Coach of the Year: Ray Magnant
#3 Central Maine Community College (semifinals): W, 13-5 (6 innings) | BOX
Martin took the circle for her tenth start of the season and tossed five innings to allow five runs over eight hits. Martin struck out six before first-year Emily Chasse (Monmouth, Maine) came in for an inning of scoreless softball to help her team advance to the championship game.
The SeaWolves scored in every inning but the third to feature a six-run fifth inning. SMCC pushed another across in the bottom-half of the sixth to evoke the eight-run rule.
First-year Emily Lashua (Auburn, Maine) collected four hits in as many trips to the plate, connected for a double, and added three RBIs. First-year Wylie Bedard (Skowhegan, Maine) too was perfect at the dish going 3-3, a homerun short of the cycle. SMCC recorded a total of 17 hits and three walks.
Martin picked up her seventh win of her sophomore season; CMCC’s Megan Theriault pitched all 5.1 innings and suffered the loss.
#1 NHTI (championships): L, 2-1 | BOX
A pitcher’s duel, the championship game lived up to expectations. The same duo appeared in this one but in reverse order. Chasse gave her team four innings and allowed one unearned run. Martin came out of the pen for 2.2 innings of work.
The SeaWolves jumped on the board in their first at-bats courtesy of a Ring RBI-knock to center field to score Martin from second. NHTI got even in the bottom-half of the second as a result of a fielding error by SMCC.
Both offenses were quiet for a string of four innings. SMCC left the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh. NHTI managed runners at second and third and did not waste the opportunity. Hannah Winship delivered a sacrifice fly to left field to score Olivia Langevin on the tag to walk off and win their third consecutive conference title.
Following the game, Bedard was selected Offensive Player of the Tournament.
View the photo gallery of the game HERE.
In a post-game interview, Coach Magnant reflected, “What a hard fought game by both sides today. Our pitching staff and defense kept us in this game against a super-talented NHTI club. Although we were on the other side of a walk-off win, we stepped up to play one of the best games we had all season—a positive way to wrap up another successful season.”
The Lady SeaWolves finish their season at 14-9 overall, 7-3 in conference action.
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