BREWER– When you have a twin, they are always there for each other. That proved true on Saturday afternoon at Coffin Field.
Aleya Pelletier threw out a runner at home plate in the seventh inning to back a strong pitching performance from Halle Pelletier and give Greenville a 4-3 win over Penobscot Valley High School (PVHS) in the Maine Principals’ Association class D state softball championship. It is the first softball state title ever for Greenville high school.
“I do all my plays for her because I know she is working so hard for the entire team. It feels amazing,”Aleya Pelletier said. “It feels great.”
The Howlers were down 4-1 going to the bottom of the seventh inning. Emma Buck drew a one out walk. She advanced to second on a Ryley Buck single. Emma Buck scored when Kara Theriault reached on an error. On that play Aleya Pelletier threw a strike to catcher Shelby Cowin to retire Ryley Buck for the second out of the inning.
“That is my twin sister. That was awesome, best play of the game I think,”Halle Pelletier said. “It saved the game.”
Lexi Ireland followed with a triple to score Pelletier and make it a one run game. The out at the plate avoided the triple tying the game or at the very least having the strong middle of the Howlers order coming up again.
“That wasn’t the textbook way to play that. I thought they should have held the runner,”Greenville Co Coach Michael Cabral said “She (Pelletier) had confidence she could make the play and she made it.”
Halle Pelletier retired Morgan Banks on a grounder to end the game. The Howlers left Ireland on third. They left 14 on in the game, including the bases loaded in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.
Tiegan Murray has been struggling for the Lakers throughout the tournament and in her first three at bats against a very tough Leine McKechnie. Murray was 0-3 coming into her at bat in the seventh inning. Murray hit a single to score Aleya Pelletier that made the score 4-1. After seeing how the bottom of the seventh inning, that insurance run was very important for the Lakers.
“That was a very big hit. She (Murray) has been working very hard the last couple of weeks. She has been in a little bit of a slump,”Cabral said. “She remade her swing and took a different approach. Yesterday she wasn’t going to be a starter.”
Murray proved at practice on Friday she could hit good pitching. Greenville (18-1) brought in Foxcroft’s fireballer Mackenzie Beaudry to throw batting practice.
“We brought in Mackenzie Beaudry to pitch batting practice to us and Tiegan (Murray) hit the ball all over the park,”Cabral said. “She (Murray) put us in a situation where we had no choice but to put her in the lineup. She handled herself very well.”
Halle Pelletier allowed six hits on three runs (two earned) with nine walks and nine strikeouts. Bianca Breton reached base three times with a hit and two intentional walks.
Kortney McKechnie reached base four times with a run scoring double and three intentional walks. Leine Mckechnie recorded a double, run scored, and walk. Ryley Buck had two hits and a walk. Leine Mckechnie allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits, five walks, and struck out 12. PVHS finished 19-1 and the loss snaps a 39 game winning streak.
