A total-team effort lifted Searsport to its second straight Class D softball title Saturday afternoon with a 7-3 victory against Hodgdon.
Relying on the strong arm of junior hurler Ana Lang, the Vikings (15-6 overall) overpowered Hodgdon’s hitters for much of the day.
Lang struck out 19 Hodgdon batters en route to the victory.
Hodgdon’s junior pitcher Marissa Dow struggled to gain control early in the game, walking five Searsport batters in the first inning.
The top seed in the southern division, Searsport advanced to the state game with a 10-0 victory over No. 8 Forest Hills in the quarterfinals; beat No. 5 Buckfield, 5-3 in the semifinals; and bested No. 2 St. Dominic Academy, 2-0 in the Southern division championship.
Hodgdon, the No. 2 seed in Class D North, ends its season with a 16-3 overall record. The Hawks defeated No. 14 Central Aroostook of Mars Hill 15-1 in the prelims; beat No. 6 Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook, 14-9 in the quarterfinals; beat No. 2 Woodland, 3-2 in the semis; and defeated No. 8 Machias 2-0 in the D North championship.
