ORONO, Maine — Sophomore righthander Sidney Nicholls scattered three hits and worked her way out of several jams and torrid-hitting fellow sophomore Grace Havener drove in the game’s only run as Medomak Valley High of Waldoboro captured its first state softball title since 1995 with a 1-0 victory over Hermon in the Class B final at the Pierre and Catherine Labat Softball Complex on the University of Maine campus in Orono late Saturday afternoon.
It was Medomak Valley’s first Class B championship. The Panthers were in Class A when they won it in 1995.
And the youthful Panthers had just one senior starter in center fielder Kytana Williamson.
Both teams wound up 17-3.
Nicholls, who tossed a 14-strikeout one-hitter in a 5-0 victory over defending two-time regional champ York in the B South final, struck out 12 and walked one while throwing 99 pitches, 75 for strikes.
She held the Hawks hitless in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Medomak Valley coach Richard Vannah said that with runners in scoring position, Nicholls “bears down. She clicks it into another gear. It’s crazy.”
“That’s what she does. She knows how to mow them down and she’s great at it,” said left fielder Havener. “Sidney is incredible. Not much gets in her head. She can get us out of anything really.”
Hermon had a runner on second with nobody out in the second inning after a dropped fly ball during a collision but Nicholls struck out the next three hitters.
Hermon had another runner on second with one out in the fourth but Nicholls worked out of it with a ground ball and a fly ball.
The Hawks received a lead-off single from Becca Balmas in the fifth inning but Nicholls struck out the next two hitters and then, after an infield error put runners on first and second, she induced an inning-ending pop up.
But the Hawks’ best chance came in the sixth.
Addy Waning drew a walk and Mikelle Verrill launched a long double to left center field to put runners on second and third with one out.
Nicholls pitched out of it by inducing a shallow fly to center and striking out the next hitter.
“She did a good job. We just didn’t capitalize when we needed to,” said Hermon coach Steph Biberstein.
“I knew strikeouts were needed and it was really big to get those outs,” said Nicholls, who was happy with her outing and said her fastball and rise were working.
“She was a good pitcher. She was tough to compete with,” said Hermon senior pitcher Brealyn Wilcox, who tossed an impressive six-hitter. “She had a pretty good riseball and her curve was pretty effective as well.”
Medomak Valley scored the game’s only run in the fifth inning.
Junior third baseman Kendall Simmons opened the inning with an opposite-field line drive triple over right fielder Hannah Waning’s head and scored when Havener followed by punching a soft line drive single into short left field.
“It was a 3-2 pitch and I didn’t know what was coming. I just kind of swung and hoped for the best. It felt so good when I hit it,” said Simmons, who had a double and two runs batted in against York.
Havener’s RBI single came on the second of her three singles after she had gone three-for-four against York.
“She has been on fire,” Simmons said.
“I definitely didn’t hit it full force, which was too bad, but it was what we needed and I’m proud of that,” said Havener, who said that she had confidence in herself thanks to her recent success.
Havener had three of Medomak Valley’s six hits off Miss Maine Softball finalist Wilcox, who will play at Bangor’s Husson University this coming season.
Simmons had her triple, Arianna Sproul had a double and Claudia Feeley had a single.
Addy Waning had a single for Hermon to go with Balmas’ base hit and Verrill’s double.
Wilcox struck out nine and didn’t walk anyone in an impressive performance.
“She was one of the best pitchers we’ve faced this year,” Havener said.
