When Penobscot Valley High School of Howland catcher Emma Potter found out that she was a finalist for Miss Maine Softball, she was puzzled.
“I didn’t really know what it was. I had to look it up,” said Potter.
She found out that she was one of 10 finalists for the award given to the state’s top senior softball players.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Potter, who has led her Howlers to a Class D North championship and a berth in Saturday’s 4 p.m. state championship game against defending champ North Yarmouth Academy at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.
“It means all the (hard) work paid off,” said Potter.
The other finalists are Old Town center fielder Saige Evans, Gardiner High School slugger Taylor Takatsu, Hall-Dale of Farmingdale catcher Zoe Soule and pitchers Mia Coots from Nokomis, Sadie Armstrong from Portland, Brooke Gerry from Windham, Lila Rawnsley from North Yarmouth Academy, Lily Noyes from Skowhegan and McKayla Kortes from York.
Potter, a left handed hitter who is also a rare left handed-throwing catcher, hit over .600 for the Howlers this season and had an on-base percentage of over .700. She led them in hits and doubles.
She is just the second Howler to be a finalist along with former pitcher Leine McKechnie.
“She has been consistent behind the plate and, hitting-wise, she is clutch. She has struck out just once this season,” said PVHS coach Jessica McKechnie, Leine’s mother and Emma’s aunt.
“It’s kind of cool to keep it in the family,” said Jessica McKechnie.
Potter, the Penobscot Valley Conference’s Class D Player of the Year, went 3-for-3 in PVHS’ come-from-behind 4-3 win over Woodland in the D North title game on Tuesday.
Noyes had a terrific senior year for the River Hawks as Skowhegan notched nine regular season shutouts and another in the playoffs. Skowhegan reached the A North finals where it lost to defending A North champ Oxford Hills of South Paris 2-0.
Coots continued her mastery in the circle in leading Nokomis to its unprecedented second straight B North title and a berth in Saturday’s state title game against York.
Coots tossed two gems in the playoffs, shutting out Hermon 2-0 in the semifinals and tossing a 14-strikeout one-hitter in the B final to beat Old Town 5-1. The only run was unearned. She is also one of Nokomis’ leading hitters.
She has been the ace of the Nokomis staff for four years and has numerous games with at least 10 strikeouts.
Takatsu is one of the state’s best hitters and was the catalyst for the Tigers. She was chosen the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference’s Class B Player of the Year.
Gerry concluded a superb career with a terrific duel against Cheverus freshman phenom Addison DeRoche in a 2-0, 10-inning loss in the A South championship game.
Gerry struck out 21 and DeRoche fanned 23.
Gerry is a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year and DeRoche won it this season.
Kortes and Rawnsley have guided their respective teams to back-to-back regional titles and will look to earn their second straight state championships on Saturday.
Kortes has not only been the ace of York’s staff for years, she is also one of their most potent bats.
Kortes and Coots squared off in last year’s state B final with York winning 2-1 and they will again meet on Saturday in the state final.
Rawnsley has been stellar in the circle throughout her career and tossed a gem in NYA’s 2-1 win over Buckfield in the D South final.
Soule has been a key component in Hall-Dale’s three state titles as she is a four-year starter and has been one of their most productive hitters throughout her outstanding career.
Armstrong has been a top-notch pitcher for Portland, which held opponents to two runs or less in nine of its 16 regular-season games. She can catch and play first base when she isn’t in the circle and she can also hit.
Evans guided the Coyotes to a berth in the Class B North final. The speedy center fielder was the Coyotes’ lead-off hitter and she had a good on-base percentage. She was always a threat to run. Evans is also an exceptional defensive center fielder with a strong arm.
