PORTLAND — Sarah Gilblair would rather have had her best stuff.
But when she found that she didn’t, Biddeford’s mound mainstay summoned up other resources.
Her guile. Her teammates. Her bat.
All of those factored into the Tigers’ 7-1 triumph over McAuley in an SMAA softball tilt at the Mahaney Complex, Wednesday.
Gilblair, who went the distance, fanned six Lions and scattered six hits.
She also helped her own cause by driving in three runs.
In between, she wriggled in and out of trouble, but still found a way to leave five McAuley baserunners stranded in scoring position.
“I’m a little rusty right now,” said Gilblair. “I need to pick it up.”
If she accumulated any ferrous oxide during a week’s worth of constant rain, it didn’t cling to her for long.
Not after finding her way out of jams in the first and third innings with just one run allowed.
“We knew we had to be a team,” said shortstop Katelyn Lebreux, “and everybody had to make their plays. Everyone knew what they had to do. And Sarah did her job.”
The Tigers never trailed, having grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second after Kristina McCurry, who tripled, was plated on Alyssa Baldino’s sacrifice fly.
McAuley replied with a run in the bottom of the third, a frame in which Gilblair struck out the side.
Biddeford (9-4) struck for three runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead.
Gilblair accounted for two tallies with a two out single to right.
“I just hope I hit the ball,” said Gilblair. “That’s all I hope for.”
The Lions (11-3) threatened in the bottom of the fifth, when they loaded the bases with none out.
Gilblair, however, slammed the door, with some major help from Lebreux.
Gilblair got Sara Mercier to ground to Lebreux, who promptly threw home to catcher Amethyst Hersom for the force play.
“Thank God,” said Gilblair. “Thank God she was there.”
Lebreux said she wanted to make a simple but smart play.
“Just stay in front of it,” she said. “Keep my head down and make a nice throw.”
Gilblair got Molly Mack to pop out to Lebreux, then closed out the inning by getting Kayla Daigle, a former Biddeford student, on a come backer.
“One key hit for them,” said Tigers coach Leon Paquin, “would have them ahead of us, instead of us ahead of them. The pressure would have been on all of us.”
As it was, Biddeford cruised the rest of the way, adding a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh.
The Tigers will welcome Sanford to Doran Field, Saturday at noon.
— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com or follow on Twitter @DanHickling.
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