HAMPDEN – It was a game that featured a masterful exhibition of clutch pitching.
Hampden Academy senior Charlee Chute and Messalonskee of Oakland junior Maddi Wilson continually worked out of jams in their Class A North quarterfinal at Hampden with the third-seeded Broncos edging No. 6 Messalonskee on an unearned run in the first inning.
Hampden Academy, now 13-4 and winner of six straight, will take on the winner of Thursday’s quarterfinal between No. 2 Oxford Hills of South Paris and No. 7 Brewer in Saturday’s semifinals.
Messalonskee wound up 10-7.
Chute tossed a four-hitter with six strikeouts and two walks. She held Messalonskee to a 1-for-17 showing with runners on base. She threw 101 pitches on the steamy afternoon with 70 being strikes.
Wilson allowed six hits with one strikeout and one walk. She limited the Broncos to a 2-for-14 performance with runners on base. She threw 79 pitches, 52 for strikes.
“I felt pretty good,” said Chute, who threw a three-hit shutout in her last outing, a 3-0 win over Class B North contender Hermon.
“It was obviously scary knowing it could be the last game I ever play. So I gave it my all,” said Chute.
She stranded eight Eagle baserunners.
“I just had to keep fighting (with runners on base). I knew my team had my back and that’s all I need,” she added.
Chute also received an important heads-up play by second baseman Addie Worster to get out of a fifth-inning jam.
Sage Whitehead reached on an infield single with two outs and Olivia Thomas bounced an infield hit off the glove of first baseman Piper Parker.
The ball rolled over to Worster, who grabbed the ball and tagged out Whitehead, who had wandered a step off the bag.
“I saw the ball hit off (Parker’s) glove and I grabbed it. I noticed (Whitehead) wasn’t standing on the bag so I ran at her and tagged her. It was exciting,” said Worster.
“That was awesome. It was something you’d see on ESPN’s key plays,” said Chute. “That was so cool. It was so important because it got us out of the inning.”
The game’s only run was scored by Chute, who ripped a single to right center to lead off the bottom of the first.
Laurali Parker then lined a single to left and the ball skipped by left fielder Ava Perrino for an error, allowing Chute to score from first.
Parker said the pitch was over the inside part of the plate and she was able to pull it.
“The left fielder missed it, unfortunately. But it was good for us,” said Parker.
Perrino was playing in place of the injured Audrey Mihm, who suffered a concussion from an outfield collision in the Eagles’ regular season finale against Skowhegan.
Mihm was Messalonskee’s leading hitter.
That was the only error the Eagles made.
Messalonskee had a runner on third in the second with two outs but Chute got out of it with a strikeout.
One-out errors by Piper Parker and Chute put runners on first and second with one out in the third but Chute got a strikeout and fly ball to end it.
She issued lead-off walks in the sixth and seventh but retired the next three hitters in each inning.
Wilson had a runner on third with one out in the first but pitched out of it with a pop up and ground out. She gave up doubles with no outs and one out in the second and fifth innings, respectively, but pitched out of it.
In the sixth, HA had runners on second and third with one out and Wilson got a strikeout and popup to escape damage.
Chute doubled and singled and Meghan Delahanty had two singles for the Broncos. Piper Parker had a double.
Whitehead had two singles for Messalonskee and Wilson belted a ground rule double.
Messalonskee coach Samantha Tunningley said she was proud of her team.
“They stuck with it, they worked hard and did their best. That’s all I can ask for,” said Tunningley. “It was a good game. It was fun to watch. It’s easier to accept a loss when it’s a good game.”
