The Machias Bulldogs scored eight runs over the final two innings on Wednesday night at Coffin Field in Brewer, to take down undefeated and #2 seed Penobscot Valley High School (PVHS) 9-4 in the Class D North Softball Regional Championship game. It is the first softball regional title for the Lady Bulldogs.
PVHS got off to a good start, as Lauren Veino struckout eight consecutive Machias batters after a leadoff single in the first inning by Jaida Case. The Howlers scored once in the second to make it 1-0 when Veino reached on an error, and then scored on another error and a wild pitch. They would extend the lead to 4-0 in the third on three hits and a walk, with the biggest of them hits being a two out, three-run triple by Kellie Williams. Case though was doing her thing in the circle for the Bulldogs. Despite the runs she struckout the side in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings. They had cut the deficit to 4-1 on an RBI single by Maggie Allen in the fourth. In the sixth, Machias exploded to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Case led with a single, and then with one out Skylar Tinker singled as well. Jaydin Anderson followed with a two-run double to make it 4-3, and with two outs Cassandra Dahl and Lauren Wood hit back to back singles to knock in a run each for a 5-4 advantage. They padded their lead in the seventh inning when Case started another rally with a one out walk. A single by Tinker, an error, another walk, and once again back to back RBI singles by Dahl and Wood amounted to four runs to finish the scoring on the night.
Case reached base three times with two hits, a walk, and scored two runs in the victory for Machias. In the circle she was dominant going the entire 7.0 innings allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits with four walks and 16 strikeouts. Tinker, Dahl, and Wood all had two hits and two RBI each. Anderson also had two knocked in with her big double. For PVHS, Allie Leblanc, Emma Potter, and Williams each had a hit. Veino also pitched a complete game giving up nine runs (four earned) on 10 hits with two walks and 13 strikeouts. The Howlers end a great season with a record of 14-1. The Bulldogs (13-3) will face North Yarmouth Academy in the state championship game that is slated to be played on Saturday.
Recap posted by Chris Lessner/stats, photo, and videos courtesy of Marc Calnan
