Two teams that have been struggling of late were looking to gain a little momentum for the playoffs when the Bangor High School softball team hosted archrival Brewer in a Class A North regular season finale at the Bangor High softball field Wednesday night.
Lane Barron, one of two Rams honored along with twin sister Rae on Senior Night, overcame a shaky start to toss a four-hitter and the Rams broke the game open with five third-inning runs to collect an 8-1 win.
Bangor, which had lost three of its previous five games, wound up 10-6 and will be the fifth seed for the Class A North Tournament, while 3-13 Brewer lost its fifth in a row but will also host a prelim game as the seventh seed.
“It was a great night all-around,” said Bangor first-year head coach Maureen Barron, mother of the twins. “It’s special for the seniors to win their last home [regular season] game.”
Lane Barron gave up hits to three of the first nine batters she faced but settled down after that and allowed only one hit the rest of the way, a line drive single by Josie Pece in the sixth.
She finished with 14 strikeouts, walked two batters and threw 120 pitches of which 78 were strikes.
“My curveball and screwball were working today and I was going in and out [with my pitches],” said Lane Barron, who will attend Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania with her twin sister next fall.
Bangor junior catcher Emmie Streams led off the first inning with a triple off the left fielder’s glove and scored on Rae Barron’s grounder to third. Bangor added another run in the first when Casey Carter rode home on Ashley Schultz’s sacrifice fly after walking, stealing second and moving to third on Rae Barron’s grounder.
Pivotal play: Bangor’s five runs in its decisive third-inning push were all scored after two were out.
Cassidy Richardson walked to open the third but the next two hitters were retired by Brewer pitcher Morgan Downs.
Two walks loaded the bases and a catcher’s throwing error allowed a run to score.
A wild pitch produced the second run, Cassidy Ireland’s infield single down the third base line delivered the third run and the final two scored on Taylor Coombs’ infield single to the shortstop hole.
Coombs picked up one run-batted-in, and then by getting caught in a rundown between first and second allowed the second run to score. Coombs made it back to first safely as the run scored.
Big takeaway: Both teams showed they can turn in some defensive gems.
Brewer junior shortstop Jordan Doak leaped high in the air to make a sensational stab and rob Streams of a base hit in the fourth inning. Center fielder Asianna West had made a nice running catch on a Streams fly ball to right center in the third.
Bangor junior second baseman Ireland made three quality plays on hard-hit balls that exploded at her feet. She stayed down on the ball and was able to snare all three before throwing to second for two forced outs and to first for another out.
She also alertly chased down a liner that glanced off the glove of first baseman Rae Barron and flipped the ball to Barron for the out.
What’s next: Bangor will host No. 12 Mt. Blue of Farmington, 1-15, in a preliminary round game on Tuesday and Brewer will entertain No. 10 Mt. Ararat of Topsham, which is 4-12.
