It’s been a memorable season across a variety of playing fields this spring.

And now, a next round of spring sports state champions will be crowned as the baseball, softball and lacrosse playoffs reach the pinnacle.

Here’s a look at what’s next for the Midcoast teams still standing:

 

Baseball

Freeport continues its tale of two seasons meshed into one. After starting 9-0, the Falcons were atop the Class B South standings at the halfway point of the season. Then, it lost six consecutive games when it played Yarmouth and Greely to close the regular season.

“We didn’t feel like we were playing bad baseball during that stretch (six game losing streak),” said Freeport head coach Steve Shukie. “We’ve worked on the areas that were exposed during that portion of the season and feel as confident as we can be heading into the regional final.”

However, the Falcons turned things around to reach the Class B South final Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s College in Standish.

Freeport’s opponent? Greely. 

“The work is starting to show, and the type of baseball we were playing during our 9-0 start has been on display again recently,” added Shukie.

In Class C South, Lisbon is back in the regional final after eliminating top-seed Oak Hill in a thrilling 3-2 win Saturday. The Greyhounds won the Class C state title in 2019, and were looking to repeat in 2020 before the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Things haven’t been easy for the Greyhounds. After they handled No. 13 Madison with ease, they edged No. 5 Waynflete/North Yarmouth Academy 4-3, and Oak Hill to reach the regional final. 

The Greyhounds will play Monmouth at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, also at St. Joe’s.

“We’re pretty much a brand new team, we’ve lost a lot over the past two years,” said Lisbon head coach Randy Ridley. “We have three young men who have been here before and have kept us in a relaxed state of mind during our run.”

The three players left from the 2019 state championship team are Hunter Brissette (P/IF), Justin Le (C), and Neil LaRochelle (SS). 

The Greyhounds dropped a 3-2 game to the on May 10 in Monmouth. 

“I’m sure the boys are thinking about it (the regular season loss to Monmouth),” added Ridley. “Obviously it’s a big game, we’ve been there and they haven’t, we’re expecting each side to play at their top level on Tuesday.”

In Class D South, top-seeded Richmond has had little trouble en route to the regional final against No. 3 Searsport. The Bobcats have outscored their opponents in the postseason 37-5 (20-2 over No. 8 Forest Hills and 17-3 over No. 4 Piscataquis), but Searsport has traditionally given them a tough time. The Vikings have also cruised to the regional final, with a 12-2 win over No. 6 Vinalhaven in the quarters and a 13-1 victory over No. 10 St. Dominic in the semis.

 

Lacrosse

The Freeport girls lacrosse team is the top-seed in Class C after finishing the regular season 9-3. The Falcons are set to host No. 4 Lake Region on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Freeport swept the season series, winning 13-8 and 11-9.

“We have a really athletic and fast team who have learned to rely on each other a lot more as the season has progressed,” said Freeport head coach Marcia Wood. “The offense is very balanced, which puts more pressure on our opposing defenses on who they should shadow.”

The Falcons received a bye in the first round before eliminating No. 8 St. Dom’s 18-9 on Saturday in a quarterfinal game.

“We’re expecting another close one,” said Wood. “The team that can hold possession and not give the ball away will have the advantage, so that’s what we plan on doing.

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Senior catcher Justin Le backstopping Lisbon’s great pitching