GRAY — Fryeburg Academy softball coach Fred Apt said he tries to schedule several preseason games on the road just to get the Raiders accustomed for when they have to play away in the playoffs.
So far this tournament season, the strategy has paid off.
Fryeburg has won two playoff games on the road, and now the Raiders are headed to the Western Class B final at St. Joseph’s College at 7 p.m.
Lexi L’Heureux-Carland scored on a groundout after hitting a triple in the eighth inning Saturday morning, giving the seventh-seeded Raiders a 3-2 semifinal win over No. 6 Gray-New Gloucester.
After her triple to left-center with one out, L’Heureux-Carland had to wait three batters later to score. With runners on first and third and two outs, Kristina Hudson grounded to third and the Patriots (12-6) elected to throw home. L’Heureux collided with catcher Maria Valente, who had the ball in time, but it was jarred loose.
Unlike in baseball, runners in softball don’t have to slide at home.
Asked how a No. 7 seed could make it to the regional final, L’Heureux-Carland said: “We’ve worked hard in practice with a lot of hitting.”
Fryeburg Academy (13-6) knocked off No. 2 York in the quarterfinals, 4-0. The Raiders will play for the regional title against No. 4 Yarmouth, which upset top-ranked Greely, 7-0.
In the bottom of the eighth, Gray-New Gloucester pitcher Alie Martel led off with a single, but Fryeburg’s Nicole Bennett bore down to get the next three hitters in the heart of Gray-New Gloucester’s lineup. Kaelyn Woods, who tied the game with an RBI single in the sixth, lined out to right field to end it.
Woods appeared to score what would have been the winning run after her single in the sixth. Running to third, she came in contact with shortstop Kristen Chipman, who was attempting to field a ground ball. The ball deflected off Chipman’s glove, allowing Woods to score, but base umpire Dick Goan ruled interference by Woods.
Fryeburg didn’t score in the top of the seventh.
When asked about the play after the game, Goan said: “It was clearly interference. The runner brushed her.”
Fryeburg took a 2-0 lead in the fifth on MacKenzie Buzzell’s two-run single.
Gray-New Gloucester Coach Amanda Harmon said the interference call and the play at the plate were tough ones.
“Overall, we’ve had an amazing season.”
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