SACO — The scoreboard read 7-2. The Thornton softball team had just dropped its second loss of the season, this game at the hands of defending Class A champion South Portland.

But as the team huddled at second base after the game, there was no anger or sadness over the loss.

The players were happy, and had every right to be.

Even though the scoreboard hadn’t shown it, the Golden Trojans, from a pitching and defensive standpoint, had just finished one of its better games of the season.

“I just told the girls to forget the scoreboard for a minute,” Thornton head coach John Provost said. “They put together a big first inning. But we competed today. I think they had three of what I call ‘squibblers’, the hits that just fall in. Chrissy [Remmes] has a tremendous rip to right field, gets thrown out. We had a couple things going there with consecutive hits, but it’s just a game of inches.”

Thornton made one error in the contest, and pitcher Julia Geaumont struck out six batters, compared to the four tossed by South Portland hurler Alexis Bogdanovich, who normally doubles or triples that number, on a consistent basis.

It was a far better game for the Trojans against a top team than last weekend against Scarborough, when errors in the outfield hurt Thornton in its 5-2 loss to the Red Storm.

“They’ve definitely turned it around since the Scarborough game,” Provost said.

The Red Riots (10-0) took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, highlighted by an Bogdanovich home run over the center field wall. Thornton cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the inning, when Michelle Cote scored from third after an errant throw by South Portland first baseman Amanda Linscott.

South Portland added two more runs in the third inning, thanks to an RBI single from Bogdanovich and an RBI groundout by Linscott.

Thornton scored a run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI groundout hit by Kristen Duross, plating Cote and bringing the score to 5-2.

South Portland scored two more runs in the seventh, scoring Erin Bogdanovich from third after Linscott was hit by a pitch with the base loaded, and an RBI single from Stephanie McDonough.

But it did nothing to drive the positive vibes out of the Trojans after the game.

“We hit the ball, we put the ball in play,” Provost said. “The girls are playing with some confidence.”

The Trojans get four days off before its next contest, when Thornton hits the road to play Cheverus in Portland.

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 318 or follow on Twitter @Dave_Dyer