BREWER — York High was putting runners on base, while ace senior pitcher Stephanie Rundlett carried a perfect game through four innings.
All seemed good in the Wildcats’ world.
But York kept stranding runners and Old Town finally put together some offense. The Coyotes rallied from a three-run deficit to beat York 6-3 for the Class B softball state championship Saturday afternoon at Brewer High School.
It was the second state title in five years for Old Town (17-3). York (18-2) was making its first title game appearance in 25 years. The Wildcats have three state championships (1980, ’88 and ’89).
On Saturday, after Old Town’s first 12 batters were retired, the Coyotes began the fifth inning with four straight hits, including Kayla Hayward’s two-run double. Natalie St. Louis singled her home, and the Coyotes led 4-3.
“Just that one bad inning. One real bad, bad inning,” York Coach Mona Blais said. “I think there was a little letdown.”
Rundlett, who began the game with six strikeouts and finished with 11, could feel her pitches flattening out.
“My balls were not moving as much as they were in the first innings,” she said. “The rise wasn’t moving that well. (The balls) started coming in straight and they started hitting the ball better, and in the gaps.”
York had taken a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth. Terra Pepin and Elise Holly led off with singles and Kiley Blondin doubled them in with a blast to right center. She eventually scored on a groundout by Rundlett, who also had three hits.
With two outs, York was still threatening with runners on first and third after a Sophia Stephens double and a Maeve Campbell single. But they were stranded after a pop-up to second.
The Wildcats had 14 base runners – 12 hits, a walk and an error – but stranded nine. Another was caught stealing, and Old Town turned a double play, with shortstop Mikayla Richard ranging to the middle for a grounder, touching second and firing to first.
“We hit some really hard balls that they made some good plays on,” Blais said. “Their shortstop up the middle made a heck of a play … It is what it is. They’re a good team.”
Still, York had that 3-0 lead.
On the first pitch in the bottom of the fifth, Caitlyn King doubled to deep left.
“My pitch, right down the middle,” King said.
That pumped life into the Coyotes.
“There was a chain reaction,” Howard said. “Everyone was ready to hit. She was pitching faster than most pitchers, but we adjusted to it.”
After Old Town went up 4-3, York threatened in the sixth when Kelsey Cole and Pepin reached with no outs. But pitcher Olivia Albert got a strikeout, a soft lineout and a groundout to end the threat.
“My defense was phenomenal,” Albert said. “I could pitch to contact and they stop everything.”
In the bottom of the sixth, Albert gave herself insurance with a home run. Another run scored on a hit and a throwing error to make it 6-3.
Rundlett led off the seventh with a single, but Albert retired the next three batters, finishing with her sixth strikeout.
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