THE CONWAY DAILY SUN, Tuesday, June 21, 2011— Page 19
RAIDERS from page 14
´Three!´ and then I saw the throw coming. I mean, (Tripp) was sitting down, with her legs straight out. She´s a great catcher.” Following two infield hits, the Bucks had a run and runners at first and third with one out and two runs home. In a key moment of the game, Coach Fred Apt traveled to pitcher’s circle to talk with a visibly rattled Harriman who called him to the mound. Apt merely reminded Harriman to look for the bunt, and sure enough, the next batter bunted down the first base line. Harriman fielded the ball, faked a throw to first, and threw to third to erase the lead runner. The veteranlike play seemed to settle Harriman and she set the next batter down on a ground ball to shortstop Michelle Rascoe to retire the side. The Raiders built a cushion in the bottom of the fourth inning with some timely hitting from the bottom of the lineup, once again showing the teamwide balance that this state championship team possesses. Lewis led off the inning with a single, and Harriman followed Lewis with a walk. Both advanced on a passed ball, and then with two outs, number nine hitter Bri Pelkie provided two insurance runs with an opposite field hit that sailed just over the second baseman’s glove and eluded the right fielder. Lewis and Harriman scored to make it 5-2. With Harriman now comfortable, she retired the last 10 Golden Bucks that she faced. In the seventh inning, she faced the top of the order and struck out the first two batters. The Bucksport No.3 hitter hit a ground ball to shortstop Rascoe on and 0-1 count, and Rascoe threw to first to record the final out in this state championship game. At that moment the Raiders became the 20-0 Maine State Class B Champions. The championship marks the third in four years; and last year, the only year in the four year run when
The Raiders took a well-deserved victory lap after winning Saturday.
the Raiders would not win a state championship, they lost in the state championship game. Members of the championship team are Kelsey Sheehan, Charlotte Lewis, Carla Tripp, Sarah Harriman, Ashley Watkins, Michelle Rascoe, Maggie McConkey, Maddy Smith, Maddie Pearson, Brianna Pelkie, Abby Brown, Karissa Watkins, Ellen Bacchiocchi, Michelle Boucher, head coach Fred Apt, and assistant coaches Chris Dutton, Wayne Rivet and Kristina Stevens. Fryeburg Academy has not seen this type of dominance in a sport in recent years. The continued excellence in this
Coach Peter Ames was selected as the Division II Softball Coach of the Year last week after guiding Kennett High to a 16-1 regular season record that clinched the No. 1 seed for the playoffs. Ames has 376 wins in his 24-year career at the helm to go with five state championships. (JAMIE GEMMITI PHOTO)
program is a tribute to Coach Apt and his coaching staff’s ability to create a winning culture in the program, as well as the willingness of the young woman in this program to buy in to the philosophy of hard work, unself-
(RACHEL ANDREWS DAMON PHOTO)
ishness and belief in one another. “I never planned on 20-0, that’s for sure,” Apt said after the game. “I don’t have a lot to say, which will probably surprise a lot of people, all the credit goes to these girls.”