The third-ranked South Portland Red Riots got off to a slow start in the Class A softball playoffs, but survived an extra-inning battle with No. 6 Gorham and trounced No. 10 Thornton to reach the Class A Western championship game.
The Riots were set to face off against No. 1 Scarborough for the right to play for the state championship on Wednesday (the game was played after the Current’s deadline).
Against Gorham on June 11, the Riots found themselves in the middle of a pitchers’ duel between Gorham’s Kelsey Crowe and Riot starter Alexis Bogdanovich.
Hits and baserunners were at a premium through first five innings as both pitchers breezed through, with Bogdanovich allowing just three hits while striking out 10 and Crowe allowing just one hit while striking out six.
The Rams got to Bogdanovich in the top of the sixth, Lauren Chouinard got hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, she then stole second to get into scoring position. With one out, Rachel Fogarty singled, moving Chouinard to third and Fogarty later got into scoring position with an uncontested steal of second. Crowe then belted a long single to left that scored both Chouinard and Fogarty, giving the Rams the 2-0 lead.
But South Portland got those runs right back in the bottom of the inning. Lauren Tuttle led off with a single and then Emily Masters dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but she beat the throw to first and the Riots had runners on first and second with no outs. With one out, Melissa Thomes moved the runners over with a bunt and Katlin Norton stepped up and smashed a triple to deep left to score Tuttle and Masters and tie the score.
The score stayed tied at two until the bottom of the eighth inning. Danielle DiBiase reached on a one-out walk, Thomes moved her over with a single and then Norton came up with another huge hit, roping a single through the infield to score DiBiase and seal the 3-2 win for South Portland.
There was no such tension on Saturday as the Riots jumped on Thornton Academy early and cruised to a 9-0 win.
Bogdanovich once again got the win for South Portland as she struck out 10 and gave up just four hits. She also had three RBIs and two hits, including a triple, as the Riots got out to a 5-0 first inning lead and never looked back.
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