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Wells High’s softball team entered the season as the favorite in Class B South, then suffered a blow when ace left-hander Anya Chase suffered a preseason hip injury that hampered her pitching.

Junior Karissa Kenyon stepped in and helped the Warriors finish 11-5 – and still first in the region. And Chase is now healthy, giving the Warriors a big boost heading into the playoffs.

But Wells Coach Kevin Fox knows nothing is guaranteed. Last year the Warriors went in No. 1 but lost in the final inning of the Class B South championship game to Fryeburg Academy.

And this year hasn’t been easy. The Warriors lost to No. 2 Gray-New Gloucester, No. 3 Fryeburg Academy, No. 6 Greely and No. 7 Poland, as well as No. 12 York.

“It’s been a pretty competitive league for sure,” said Fox. “As good as teams are, there’s not a team good enough that, if you don’t bring your A game, you’re going to be packing it pretty soon.

“I mean, the top three teams all lost five games. That’s almost unheard of.”

There are a couple of great unknowns in the region too: fourth-ranked Morse (12-4) and fifth-ranked Oak Hill (13-3). Those teams will meet in Bath in the quarterfinals. The Shipbuilders enter the playoffs as the hottest team, with eight consecutive wins, among them a 2-1 decision over Gray-NG. Their only losses came in a four-game stretch from April 30-May 7, when they lost to Oceanside (third in North B), Leavitt, Medomak Valley (sixth in North B) and Mt. Ararat (seventh in North A).

Morse Coach Wil Laffely likes going in as an unknown.

“I think it’s more beneficial for us to go in with no expectations and show everybody what we have,” he said. “One thing about this group of girls – we set a goal last year of wanting to get a (championship) banner for the school. And this year, that goal is still intact. We want a banner for our gym.”

Morse is led by senior shortstop Marissa Parks, who batted .478 with two home runs and five doubles. Sophomore pitcher Dory Kulis has an ERA of 1.15 in 123 innings, striking out 134 with just 21 walks.

A healthy Chase, however, gives Wells that X-factor that is often needed in the playoffs. She is a strikeout pitcher who can baffle even the best hitters. More important, her presence in the pitching circle lifts her teammates.

“She is a great teammate and the girls enjoy rallying around her,” said Fox. “Their confidence rises when she is on the mound, and that’s a good thing.”

Chase, who will attend MIT, injured her right hip during the first week of practice. Soon, it was painful every time she planted her right foot to throw. She couldn’t drive with her legs, lessening the effectiveness of her fastball and spin pitches. She was diagnosed with a strained hip flexor and was told to stop pitching for two weeks.

“The doctor helped me learn how to stretch and exercise different parts of my body so I wouldn’t strain it again,” said Chase. “After I took two weeks of rest, I slowly got back into (pitching). And then as I started increasing my load, I was able to pitch a complete seven innings. It was about increasing my stamina and learning to trust it again. It was a learning process. Now I can plant my foot and not feel pain.”

She finished the season with a three-hit, eight-strikeout performance in a 10-3 win over Fryeburg. “I was trusting my pitches a lot more,” she said. “I felt much more confident on the mound.”

Wells is, of course, much more than just Chase, who went 6-3 with a 2.33 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 54 innings. Kenyon went 5-2 with a save, a 1.93 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 58 innings. And both can hit. Chase led Wells with a .618 batting average, 11 doubles, one home run and 32 runs. Kenyon batted .473 with 15 runs and 14 RBI.

And then there’s senior first baseman Samantha Bogue. She batted .403 with one home run, 25 RBI and 13 runs. Olivia Durfee batted .341 and Olivia Clay .309.

The Warriors are also driven by the memory of last year’s finals loss to Fryeburg.

“I know it’s driving us to do better this year,” said Chase. “But this is definitely a different team than last year, so I don’t know if we can compare the two. We’re just trying to take the season for what it is and try our best and hopefully do better than we did last year.”

Gray-New Gloucester Coach Amanda Harmon knows what Chase means to the Warriors.

“For her to be able to come back when it’s important, I’m sure it’s exciting for them and gives them an edge,” she said.

But she’s also confident in her team.

The Patriots are led by senior pitcher Ali Martell, who struck out 129 and pitched a no-hitter, one-hitter and four two-hitters. She also led the team with a .313 batting average, three home runs and 14 RBI. Izzy Brindley hit .288 and Mikaela Ryan hit .281.

Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or:

mlowe@pressherald.com

Twitter: MikeLowePPH