The Bucksport High School softball team was two outs away from winning the state Class C title a year ago as the Bucks were holding a 3-2 lead over Hall-Dale of Farmingdale with one out in the seventh inning.
But the Bulldogs rallied dramatically for four runs to become just the third school in Maine softball history to capture four state championships in a row with a 6-3 triumph.
The 18-1 Bucks will get another crack at the 17-2 Bulldogs on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s College in Standish.
Hall-Dale also beat Bucksport in the 2023 final, 2-1.
That is one of four state title games on the docket.
That will be followed by the Class A final between Edward Little of Auburn, 13-6, against Windham, 17-2, at 4 p.m.at St. Joseph’s.
The Class D and B state games will be at the Pierre and Catherine Labat Softball Complex at the University of Maine at Orono with 17-0 Penobscot Valley of Howland taking on 18-2 Buckfield at 12:30 p.m. in the D game and 17-2 Hermon facing 16-3 Medomak Valley of Waldoboro at 4 p.m. in the B final.
The Bucks will be looking for their first state title since 2017. They had also earned titles in 2012, ’13 and ’15.
“We’ll be ready,” said Bucksport coach Rich Rotella, whose Bucks haven’t allowed more than two runs in a game all year thanks to senior righthander Natalie Simpson, a Miss Maine softball finalist.
Simpson has a six-pitch arsenal and Rotella emphasized that all six are “legitimate” pitches.
“And her velocity is up from last year,” Rotella said.
Simpson, who will take her talents to the University of Maine at Farmington this fall, has a fastball, curve, screwball, changeup, drop and riseball.
Simpson is also one of the Bucks’ leading hitters along with Jetta Shook, Lexi Raymond and Emma Clement.
Hall-Dale has been paced by pitcher Lucy Gray, shortstop Torie Tibbetts and catcher Jade Graham.
Graham has driven in the game-winning runs in both state title wins over Bucksport with a single last year and a sacrifice fly in 2023.
In the Class B final, Hermon will be seeking its first state title since 2014. The Hawks had also won the state in 2010.
Medomak Valley has never won a state title in four tries in Class B with losses to Hermon in 1977, Bucksport in 1984 and Fryeburg Academy in ’08 and ’09.
The Panthers did win a state championship in Class A in 1995 and lost in an A final in 1999.
The Hawks are going to have a stiff challenge facing Medomak Valley High School sophomore pitcher Sidney Nicholls, who tossed a one-hit gem with 14 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over defending two-time regional champ and previously undefeated York in the C South final.
York had scored at least 12 runs in 15 of its 18 previous games.
The Hawks have an ace of their own in Miss Maine Softball finalist Braelyn Wilcox, who threw a three-hitter in a 6-4 win over Old Town in the A North final.
Wilcox is also one of the Hawks’ leading hitters along with Addy Waning, Mikelle Verrill and Molly Simcox.
Grace Havener had three singles in Medomak Valley’s win over York. Jennika Schumann had a double and a single and Kendall Simmons had a double and two runs-batted in.
The Class D final will also feature a terrific pitching matchup between Buckfield’s Carmen Crockett, a Miss Maine Softball finalist, and PVHS junior Lauren Veino.
Both have earned-run averages under 1.00.
Veino has an 0.58 ERA and has struck out 158 hitters in 73 innings.
The Howlers lost to North Yarmouth Academy 2-1 in the Class D state game last year.
They won state titles in 2012, 2017 and 2019.
PVHS has five players who are seeking their third state championship this school year after annexing soccer and basketball titles: Ellie Austin, Abby Farley, Shay Ireland, Lila Cummings and Nicole Solomon.
Veino is also the team’s leading hitter at .604 followed by Miss Maine Softball finalist Austin (.490), Cummings (.451) and Allie LeBlanc (.447).
Chloee Bennett had three doubles and drove in three runs in Buckfield’s 6-4 win over defending two-time state champ North Yarmouth Academy in the D South final. Cori Merrill also had three hits and Cora Brewster had two hits and two RBIs.
Buckfield has won nine state D titles but none since claiming back-to-back championships in 2007 and 2008.
Edward Little won back-to-back state A titles in 1996 and ’97 but hadn’t played in a state championship game since. But the seventh-seeded Eddies knocked off top seed Bangor (4-1), No. 2 Oxford Hills (7-4) and No. 3 Brewer (7-4 in 8 innings) to earn the state tournament berth.
The Eddies feature a balanced lineup led by Alexis Kelsea and Kassidy Lobb.
Lobb and Chloe LeBlanc teamed up to three-hit Bangor 4-1 in the North final.
Miss Maine Softball finalist Kennedy Kimball from Windham shut out previously unbeaten and defending state champ Cheverus of Portland in the A South final.
Stella Jarvais and Oakley McLeod are two of Windham’s offensive catalysts.
