KENNEBUNK — Whatever grief the balky elbow of  Emma Vaillancourt might have been giving her early in the Spring, it isn’t bothering her anymore.

Not after Vaillancourt and her Thornton Academy mates toppled the No. 7 seeds Kennebunk, 4-0, in a Western Maine Class A softball prelim played Wednesday.

The No. 10 Golden Trojans will now face their ancient cross-river foes, No. 2 Biddeford, in a Western semifinal slated for today (4 p.m.) at Doran Field, weather permitting.

“Our rivals,” said Vaillancourt, a senior, who has taken part in several Thornton/Biddeford clashes. “It should be a very good game. I’m looking forward to it.”

Vaillancourt, who missed the first half of the season with an elbow injury, was in her best form against Kennebunk.

She allowed just three hits, walked two (both runners were erased by stellar Trojan defensive plays), and fanned seven Rams.

“My teammates helped me along,” Vaillancourt said. “I missed some spots.”

Perhaps, but not many.

Not with the blend of velocity and location having a befuddling effect on Rams hitters.

“I’ve had an injury all year,” she said, “so it’s great to come back.”

It took Vaillancourt a couple innings to settle into a rhythm.

Kennebunk nearly got to her in the first inning, when it had two runners in scoring position with just one away.

However, Thornton first baseman Hannah Ebling snagged back-to-back liners by Janelle Bouchard and Kelsey Livermore to end the threat.

The Trojans promptly scored twice with two away in the top of the second, which was one more run than Vaillancourt would need.

Vaillancourt helped her own cause with a single to left, then gave way to pinch runner Chrissy Remmes.

Designated player Vanessa McCrum then delivered a clutch single to right that was misplayed, allowing Remmes to score.

“It all starts with one hit,” said McCrum, a sophomore. “I like to think I’m going up to hit. If it’s a strike, I like to swing. I liked the (pitch) where it was, and I hit it.”

McCrum was tripled in by Ebling to make it 2-0.

Vaillancourt pitched to just one batter over the minimum from the third inning on.

With four freshmen in their starting line up, the Rams lack of playoff experience was beginning to catch up to them.

“All year long, we’ve been kind of nervous,” said Kennebunk coach Stephanie Coleman. “Like freshmen, which we truly are. We were hoping that would be over with in the early part of the year. We’re trying to build something that will be sustainable.”

Thornton padded its lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth.

Vaillancourt, perhaps fueled by adrenaline, finished off the Rams with a flourish by striking out the side in the seventh inning.

“It was a great win,” said Vaillancourt. “We did everything good.”

— Contact Dan Hickling at 282-1535 ext. 318 or dhickling@journaltribune.com.