BIDDEFORD — The postseason is approaching and Tuesday’s matchup between the Biddeford and Scarborough softball teams seemed to be providing a sneak preview.
In one inning, however, the Tigers got just the surge they were looking for to ride into the playoffs.
Lexi Libby knocked in the go-ahead run during a six-run sixth, Charlotte Donovan worked around Red Storm threats in the circle, and Biddeford upended Scarborough 7-1 in the regular-season finale for both teams.
The Tigers, the defending Class A South champions, head to the playoffs at 13-2. The Red Storm will go in at 11-4.
“We’re ready,” said Donovan, who struck out seven while allowing six hits. “We’re still thinking about that loss (to Skowhegan in the Class A final) and we’re not happy about it. We’re ready to come back.”
Biddeford came in looking for a statement after losing to Noble 2-1 on Friday.
“Our girls responded,” Coach Mike Fecteau said. “Credit Noble, but we didn’t have the energy … on Friday. But I think they came to play today.”
It took a while for the floodgates to open. Scarborough scratched a run across in the first inning when AJ Swett led off with a walk and scored on Angelina Pizzella’s single, and the Tigers tied the game in the fourth when Baylor Wilkinson walked and pinch-runner Jaylah Trottier scored on an error.
In the sixth, Biddeford, held to one hit through five innings by Scarborough freshman Natalie Moynihan, broke the game open. With Wilkinson on second and Hannah Gosselin on first with one out, Libby – who had struck out looking and lined out to first – hit a hard grounder into the hole that kicked off the shortstop and into left field, scoring Wilkinson for a 2-1 lead.
“It felt good to know that, after not being my best in my first two at-bats, I was contributing to the team in a kind of crucial moment,” Libby said. “There are certainly nerves, but sometimes it’s better to perform that way, I think. Our team does really well under pressure.”
The Tigers weren’t done. A wild pitch scored Gosselin, Libby came home on an error, Hannah Lappin walked and scored on Eliza Doyon’s single, Lily LeSieur reached on an error and scored on another, and Doyon scored on Donovan’s single.
Biddeford collected four of its five hits in the sixth.
“It was good to see,” Fecteau said. “The bottom of the order went up there swinging the bat, putting the ball in play. (They) made things happen.”
Scarborough Coach Tom Griffin said the inning was a rough cap to an encouraging afternoon. The Red Storm consistently put runners on base, but ended up stranding nine.
“Obviously we’re disappointed with that last inning, but we have to look at (as) they’re a very good team and we played five really good innings,” said Griffin, who got two hits from Calynn Gendreau. “I think giving up that run earlier kind of put us in a little hole, because we felt we had to kind of get it back, and my girls kind of pressed and felt that they all had to make that play to get themselves out of the inning.”
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