The Highview Christian Lady Knights softball team, out of Charleston, is set to make their third straight trip to the Class D Northern Maine playoffs next week.
First year head coach Durice Washburn, former coach of the Central Lady Red Devils in Corinth has led the Knights to a 6-9 spring good enough for a 10th place finish. Matt McDonald is the assistant coach.
Highview will face seventh seeded East Grand (8-5) in a preliminary game in Danforth on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. East Grand took the only regular season matchup by a 15-6 count back on May 11th in Danforth. The winner will have to travel to Howland for the quarterfinals to face 16-0 PVHS. The Howlers are one of only three softball teams to finish the regular season undefeated in the North, with Bucksport and Mattanawcook both in Class C being the others.
Highview offensively have been led by junior first baseman/pitcher Cassidy Lessner, junior catcher Megan McDonald, senior third baseman Rachel Pomerleau, and senior center fielder/first baseman Kelsi Upham.
Freshman Javona Philbrick has done a majority of the work in the circle for the Knights, while Lessner has also seen quite a bit of time (five starts). Lessner had also made some relief appearances.
Last year under the direction of coach McDonald, Highview pulled off two upsets as the #10 seed by defeating Woodland on the road in the preliminary round, and then second seeded Southern Aroostook at Dyer Brook in the quarterfinals. The Knights fell at Madawaska in the semifinals. The Owls then lost to Northern Maine champ Stearns in the title game. The semifinal appearance by Highview in 2016 was the first time any team in any sport at the school has reached the semifinal round since the school was founded in 1994.
