A week of memorable action and dodging raindrops concluded with some familiar state champions in tennis and numerous local teams chasing titles in baseball, softball and lacrosse.

With the spring sports season set to conclude Saturday, here’s a detailed look back at an unforgettable stretch of action:

Tennis

Three Forecaster Country tennis teams brought home state championships last week and a fourth fell just short.

Yarmouth’s boys won Class B for the fourth consecutive time since 2019 (there was no season due to COVID in 2020). The Clippers, ranked first in Class B South following a perfect regular season, handled No. 8 York (5-0) in the quarterfinals, beat No. 4 Cape Elizabeth (4-1) in the semifinals and dispatched No. 2 Lincoln Academy (5-0) in the regional final. Last Wednesday at Apex Racquet and Fitness in Portland, Yarmouth completed its 16-0 campaign with a 5-0 victory over Foxcroft Academy in the state match for the program’s 11th all-time title.

Sophomore Andre Violette won 7-6, (4), 6-0 at No. 2 singles to clinch the title after junior Andi Cobaj won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3 singles and senior Nate Hagedorn and freshman Alexander Gordon won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles. Seniors Ethan Lombard and Will Best earned a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory at first doubles. Foxcroft’s lone point came at No. 1 singles, where sophomore Khang Nguyen defeated Yarmouth senior Quinn Federle, 6-2, 7-5.

“That’s all you can ask for, a perfect season,” said Best, who led the singles lineup last year but found a home in doubles this spring. “I don’t know what else we could possibly want.”

“(Foxcroft’s) an exceptionally good team and we knew we were going to be in for a war,” said Yarmouth coach Bill Shardlow, who is retiring after leading the Clippers to championships in each of his four seasons with the program. “I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a match where all five matches have this level of play.”

Greely’s girls also won a Class B championship in perfect fashion. The Rangers, ranked first in Class B South after a perfect season which saw them drop three games all year, blanked No. 8 Morse in the quarterfinals and fourth-ranked Yarmouth in the semifinals, then downed No. 2 Lincoln Academy (4-1) in the regional finals before returning to their 5-0 ways in a victory over Foxcroft Academy at states to finish 16-0, with the program’s fourth title all-time and its first since 2017.

Greely proved dominant in singles, with Spanish exchange student Anne Alfaro winning 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 and junior Emma Lindsey and sophomore Isobel Wright both winning as well, 6-1, 6-1. Seniors Ruth Weeks and Chloe Pierce prevailed 6-1, 7-5 at second doubles. Senior Becca Carlson, who is most comfortable behind the baseline, delivered the championship-clinching forehand volley to cap a 6-4, 6-4 victory alongside junior Amara Quimby at first doubles.

“It was really nerve-wracking, standing there and knowing that this could be the ending point,” Quimby said. “Sweat all over your body. This is it, but keep a cool head. It was just really exciting.”

“That’s when I knew we were pretty good, and we would compete,” said Greely coach Mark Ouellette, who credited all the early lineup juggling with helping to build a resilient squad. “It gives everyone experience, and they have to adjust.”

In Class A, Falmouth’s boys also finished 16-0 after winning Class A for the sixth time since 2014 and for the first time since 2019. The championship was the Navigators’ 13th all-time, as they previously captured four in Class B and three in Class C.

After a 12-0 regular season, Falmouth beat No. 8 Deering (5-0) in the quarterfinals, blanked Scarborough in the semifinals, then defeated No. 2 Kennebunk (4-1) in the regional final. In the state match, the Navigators downed Skowhegan by a 5-0 score.

State singles champion Xander Barber, sophomore Sam Yoon and junior Charlie Wolak swept the singles matches, with Barber dropping no games, Yoon only one, and Wolak prevailing 6-1, 6-4. In doubles, juniors Raymond Li and Daniel Kim won, 7-5, 6-3, and junior Karl Chamberlain and freshman Eli Sidhu prevailed 6-3, 6-1.

“It’s sweet,” said Barber. “That’s what the goal was this year and to have all of the guys go out there and win is really fun. It’s a good way to end the season.”

Coach Bob McCully praised a Skowhegan squad that finished 15-1.

“Not everybody can match up with Sam and Xander, but this is a solid team,” said McCully who completed his 51st year with the program.

Falmouth’s girls also went 12-0 in the regular season and earned the top seed in Class A South. After 5-0 wins over No. 8 Marshwood in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Thornton Academy in the semifinals, the Navigators defeated No. 3 Kennebunk (4-1) in the regional final, but in the state match, they fell just short against Brunswick, dropping a 3-2 decision to wind up 15-1. Falmouth is still seeking its first crown after winning 11 straight championships between 2008-18, having also lost to the Dragons in the 2021 state match.

The Navigators opened a 2-1 lead by winning at first doubles (senior Audrey Holland and junior Jenna Nunley, 6-1, 7-5) and third singles (junior Gracyn Mick, 6-3, 6-2). Brunswick took second doubles, 6-4, 6-2, with sophomore Izzy Leitzell and freshman Molly Tefft beating Elise Gearan and Gwen Long.

The top two singles matches remained. Brunswick freshman Ellie Meserve squeaked out a marathon victory over Falmouth junior Charlotte Williamson, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1), to pull into a tie. That left first singles, where freshman Sofia Kirtchev took on state singles champion Coco Meserve. Kirtchev won the first set, 6-2, but Meserve rallied for 6-2 wins in both the second and third sets to give the Dragons the title.

“I was trying not to think too much, trying to play aggressive, but the downside of that was that I got a little bit tired,” Kirtchev said. “(Coco) did wonderful keeping up.”

Girls’ lacrosse

All five local girls’ lacrosse teams still entertained championship dreams at press time.

North Yarmouth Academy, the defending Class C champion, remains alive, but just barely. The Panthers, seeded second in the state, earned a bye into Saturday’s quarterfinals, where they welcomed longtime rival, No. 7 Waynflete. NYA, behind senior Vy Tran, who scored three of her five goals, shot to a 7-3 halftime lead and appeared on its way, but the Flyers roared back to tie the score at 7-7, then did it again at 10-10, forcing overtime. After a first three-minute, “sudden victory” OT didn’t produce a winner, Panthers freshman goalie Anaya Roundy made her sixth save of the game at a critical juncture, then at the other end, Leah Dube scored with 1:26 to go and NYA survived in an instant classic, 11-10.

“It feels really good,” said Dube, who scored three times. “I wasn’t really all there in the moment, but when everyone ran up to me, it was really exciting. I was happy to celebrate it with the team. I was thinking it’s a big deal, I get to spend more time with my “family.’”

“This game was very nerve-wracking,” Tran said. “Waynflete’s always really good. They got a lot better during the season. We just a little too comfortable with the lead. We should have kept up our intensity. Every one of us wants to win and we’ve won a lot of state championships (in multiple sports). There was no way we were going home with a loss. That’s what motivated us to keep going.”

“It was a great game,” added Panthers coach Molly Moss-Stokes. “I knew it would be a battle and I was not wrong. We just told the girls to drain the tank and that this was it. I needed 100 percent from all of them and they gave it. The whole team, from defense to attack and our goalie played great.”

NYA (10-5) advanced to host No. 3 Lincoln Academy (11-4) in the state semifinals Wednesday at 4 p.m. The teams didn’t play this spring and have no playoff history.

“We’ve got another game and we’re looking forward to that and we’ll start prepping for them,” Moss-Stokes said. “This group has what it takes. They work hard and they rely on each other and lift each other up.”

Freeport, the top seed in Class C, also had a bye into the state quarterfinals and unlike NYA, had no trouble advancing, dominating No. 8 Oceanside, 18-2. Maddie Knight recorded four goals, Lana DiRusso added three goals and two assists and Mia Levesque and Kate Tracy also scored three times.

The Falcons (14-1 and riding a 10-game win streak) host No. 4 Wells (11-4), a state finalist a year ago, in the state semifinals Wednesday. Freeport beat the host Warriors, 14-7, back on May 22. The teams have no playoff history.

If Freeport and NYA square off in the state game Saturday at a time to be announced at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, the Falcons will be seeking their third win this spring over the Panthers, after prevailing at home (12-7) April 19 and in Yarmouth (6-5) May 20. NYA has won all four previous playoff meetings, with last year’s 10-9 upset in the state semifinals the most recent.

Reigning Class B champion Greely, coming off a dominant regular season, finished first and rolled past No. 8 Mt. Blue in last week’s state quarterfinals, 15-2, to improve to 13-2. Charlotte Taylor led the way with three goals and three assists. Lauren Dennen added two goals and two assists and Allie Read and Asja Kelman also scored twice.

The Rangers hosted No. 5 Messalonskee (9-6) in the state semifinals Tuesday. Greely beat the visiting Eagles, 14-3, back on May 6. Two years, in the teams’ lone prior playoff encounter, the Rangers beat Messalonskee, 14-3, in the state semifinals.

If Greely advances to its third consecutive state final, it will meet either No. 2 Brunswick (13-2) or No. 3 Cony (13-2) Friday at a time to be announced in Portland. The Rangers didn’t face either team this season. Greely beat the Dragons, 11-2, in the 2021 state quarterfinals and downed the Rams, 16-3, in last year’s state semifinals.

In Class A, Falmouth and Yarmouth will battle in the state semifinals Wednesday at 4 p.m. (see our website for game story) after winning a pair of playoff games last week

The second-seeded Navigators had no trouble with No. 15 Massabesic in last Wednesday’s preliminary round, prevailing, 16-2, behind goals from eight different players, including four from Peaches Stucker and three from Maeve Ginevan. Falmouth opened up an 11-1 halftime lead and didn’t look back.

“We had nine different scorers,” said senior Lucy Taylor, who had two goals and one assist, including the 100th point of her career. “That’s so awesome. Other players have to step up during playoffs. I’m really proud of everyone. The ball movement lifts everybody up.”

“I was really pleased with how we came out of gates fast and hungry and ready to put some goals on the board,” said Navigators coach Ashley Pullen. “We had amazing balance today.”

Falmouth then defeated No. 7 Biddeford, 18-6, Saturday in the quarterfinals, as Stucker reached the 100-point plateau with four goals and four assists, Taylor scored five times, Ginevan and Adelaide Tolley added three goals and Maisy Clement finished with two goals and five assists.

“Once we get going, we’re kind of unstoppable, I think,” said Stucker. “We’re fast in the midfield.”

“Give Biddeford a lot of credit,” said Pullen. “They came out very fired up and very aggressive and hungry for ground balls and for possessions. They played like they had nothing to lose, and it took us a little while to adjust to that.”

Yarmouth, meanwhile, the No. 3 seed, got pushed by No. 14 Cape Elizabeth in the state preliminary round, but managed to advance, 14-10, behind six goals from Lauren Keaney and four goals and three assists from Aine Powers.

“I think our defense, once we talk and get into the groove, we play really well,” Powers said. “Once we got scored on, we figured out what we had to do and focused on that.”

“I think (Cape) started really strong which kind of caught us off-guard, but we came back,” said Keaney. “I think, especially on defense, we’ve worked a lot. They didn’t score any goals off transition. It shows how hard we’ve worked. On offense, we’ve learned to slow it down.”

“It’s our first playoff game and we’re young, so we were nervous, but we did a good job,” added longtime Clippers coach Dorothy Holt. “We went ahead and we held our own. We didn’t panic. I’m very proud of them.”

Saturday, Yarmouth downed No. 11 Gorham in the state quarterfinals, 11-6, as Keaney, Powers and Brooke Boone all finished with three goals.

In Wednesday’s semifinal, Falmouth (14-2) welcomes Yarmouth (12-4). The teams met back on May 18, a 20-9 road win for the Navigators. The Clippers won the lone prior playoff encounter, 14-5, in last year’s Class A North Final.

“To think about where we were the first of the season to where we are now, I think we’ve undergone a ton of growth and come into our own,” said Pullen. “We believe in ourselves. I think this team absolutely has what it takes to a win a state championship.”

“We’ll prepare and work on the little things,” Holt said. “We’re still improving. We’ll keep working together and that will get us there. It’s all I can ask for, being this young and still playing. We’re young, but we’re mighty.”

The Falmouth-Yarmouth winner will take on top-ranked, two-time reigning state champion Kennebunk (15-0) or No. 5 Marshwood (11-5) in the state game Saturday in Portland at a time to be announced.

The Navigators lost, 12-1, to visiting Kennebunk in their season opener April 26. Falmouth is just 1-6 all-time versus the Rams in the postseason, with a 9-8 setback in the 2021 state game the most recent. The Navigators won at Marshwood, 16-11, May 20. The teams have no playoff history.

Yarmouth lost at Kennebunk, 15-5, on April 28. The Clippers have won five of eight prior playoff meetings with the Rams with last year’s 11-8 state final loss the most recent. Yarmouth did not face Marshwood this year and the teams haven’t met in the postseason.

Boys’ lacrosse

On the boys’ side, Falmouth, NYA and Yarmouth were still chasing a title at press time.

In Class A, Falmouth, ranked second, earned a bye into Saturday’s state quarterfinal round, then defeated No. 10 Scarborough, 15-4, to improve to 13-2. Hayden Davis erupted for eight goals, while twin brothers Gio Guerrette and Joey Guerrette combined for five goals and four assists.

The Navigators will host No. 3 South Portland (12-3) in the state semifinals Wednesday at 6 p.m. Falmouth rolled in the teams’ regular season meeting, 19-7, at the Red Riots on May 13. The squads have never met in the playoffs.

If the Navigators (13-2) reach the Class A state final for the fifth consecutive season, they will take on either top-ranked and two-time reigning champion Cape Elizabeth (15-0) or No. 4 Thornton Academy (11-4) Saturday at a time to be announced in Portland. Falmouth’s lone two losses this spring came to the Capers, 9-7 April 29 in Cape Elizabeth and 15-9 at home May 20. The Navigators are 3-8 all-time versus the Capers in the tournament, with last year’s 18-7 state game loss the most recent. Falmouth beat the host Golden Trojans, 12-8, back on April 22. The Navigators dropped both prior playoff encounters against Thornton Academy with a memorable 8-7 (overtime) loss in the 2019 state final the most recent.

In Class B, Yarmouth, which was upset by Brunswick in last year’s state final, finished fourth and got a scare from No. 5 Marshwood in last week’s state quarterfinals. The Clippers trailed, 7-6, at halftime, but rallied to go on top, then managed to run out the clock late to advance. Colter Olson led the way with seven goals, Killian Marsh added five assists and Ethan St. Pierre won several key faceoffs in the second half.

“We knew it was our last game at home,” Olson said. “I can speak for the seniors and I knew they weren’t going to leave this field with a loss.”

“We found our groove and we just kept going,” said St. Pierre. “That’s grit right there. We had a rough first half and we showed them what we’re worth in the second half. You’re not done when you’re tired, you’re done when you’re finished.”

“(Marshwood’s) a great team,” added Clippers coach Jon Miller. “It was fun to play against a quality team like that. We knew they had a couple studs. We knew it was going to be close and it was.”

Yarmouth (11-4) went to No. 1 York (11-4) Tuesday in the state semifinals. The Clippers beat the visiting Wildcats, 20-12, back on May 2. Yarmouth prevailed in both prior playoff encounters, with an 11-9 victory in last year’s semifinal round the most recent.

If the Clippers reach their fourth straight Class B state game, Friday at a time to be announced in Portland, they’ll take on either second-ranked, reigning champion Brunswick (11-4) or No. 3 Messalonskee (11-4). Yarmouth beat the visiting Dragons, 16-6, on April 29. The teams have split six prior playoff meetings, dating to 2002, with Brunswick’s 14-13 victory in last year’s state final the most recent. The Clippers downed the host Eagles, 16-14, on May 8. Yarmouth beat Messalonskee, 16-1, in the 2003 quarterfinals, the lone prior postseason encounter.

“We just have to get it done,” Miller said. “We never change our game plan, it’s just a matter of execution. It’s simple. The guys just have to make plays.”

Greely, the No. 10 seed in Class B, held off No. 7 Gardiner in last week’s state preliminary round, 11-9, letting a 7-2 lead slip away before pulling out the victory behind five goals from Matt Kennedy, including the go-ahead tally in the fourth quarter.

“(The feeling was) just to say calm, keep going and go through the storm,” Kennedy, a senior, said. “They had a lot of momentum, but we just kept to our game and we finished the game out.”

“All the credit in the world to Gardiner,” Greely coach Mike Storey said. “They really, really pushed and brought that game back, but we continued to stay disciplined and follow through with what our plan was and our guys stepped up when they needed to. We, as a program, stay calm and we deal with the situation at hand.”

Saturday, in the quarterfinals, the Rangers couldn’t solve No. 2 Brunswick and lost, 12-4, to finish 7-9.

In Class C, NYA, the No. 3 seed, had no trouble with No. 6 Lincoln Academy in Saturday’s state quarterfinal round, prevailing, 17-1, behind five goals apiece from Zach Leinwand and Brayden Warde.

“It’s a good team win for us,” said Leinwand. “It’s on to the next one now. When we’re all playing well like today, everything clicks.”

“We were just trying to possess the ball today, work it around and find the best look and I think that’s what we did,” Warde said. “We started off a little slow, then we picked it up. I liked the way we played today.”

“Coming in, we knew we needed to play a full 48 minutes, which we hadn’t done yet, but we did that today,” added Panthers coach Peter Gerrity.

NYA (10-5) goes to No. 2 Wells (13-2) for the semifinals Wednesday. The Panthers lost at home to the Warriors, 9-4, on May 2. The teams also met in last year’s semifinals, where NYA eked out an 8-7 victory.

“It won’t be easy,” Warde said. “(The Warriors) love to possess the ball. We’ll have to slow it down and play smart. They’re a very good team, but we know what we can do when we play our best and if we play our game, we know we can beat anybody. We’re singularly focused on getting to the finish line and getting the trophy at the end.”

If the Panthers make it to the state final for the second year in a row, they’ll face either top-seed and reigning champion Waynflete (13-2) or No. 4 Oak Hill (9-6) Saturday at a time to be announced in Portland. NYA lost a weather-shortened game at the Flyers, 3-1, June 17. The Panthers are just 1-3 all-time versus Waynflete in the playoffs with last year’s memorable 9-8 double-overtime Flyers’ state game triumph the most recent. NYA defeated visiting Oak Hill, 14-2, on May 19. The Panthers are 3-0 all-time in teams’ postseason series, with a 10-6 victory in the 2015 Eastern B quarterfinals the most recent.

Freeport, ranked seventh in Class C, had no trouble with No. 10 Traip Academy in the preliminary round, winning, 16-2, but the Falcons couldn’t solve No. 2 Wells in Saturday’s quarterfinals, falling, 16-4, to wind up 7-9. Randall Walker had three goals in the defeat.

Baseball

Yarmouth’s baseball team was the lone local squad to get through to the regional final, but it wasn’t easy.

The Clippers, ranked second in Class B South, earned a bye into the quarterfinals where they welcomed No. 10 Leavitt last Thursday. After Liam Hickey pitched five scoreless innings, he gave up an unearned run in the top of the sixth, but Yarmouth responded, as Jack Janczuk hit a sacrifice fly to score Jonny Cody with the tying run in the bottom half, then in the seventh, Andrew Cheever, who had come on in relief to get out of the top of the inning, scored on a wild pitch to win it, 2-1.

“I just saw the ball in the dirt, read it and ran,” Cheever said. “It was an awesome feeling knowing all the boys were coming to give me a hug. I think we knew from the beginning that we could put up runs no matter the situation. I’ve been on the team since my freshman year and we’ve gone through ups-and-downs and the downs are not fun, so it’s a great feeling knowing we’re moving on.”

“You take the win, move on and survive and advance,” said longtime Clippers coach Marc Halsted. “We’d like to score more than two runs, but that’s so Yarmouth baseball to win that way. Ultra-aggressive, attack, attack, attack. You can attack even when you’re not hitting missiles all over the field.”

The Clippers then welcomed No. 6 Greely in Saturday’s semifinals.

The Rangers had taken a long and winding road to that round. In last Tuesday’s preliminary round, Greely “hosted” No. 11 York in a game played on the turf field at Central Maine Community College, due to poor conditions at Twin Brook Recreation Center. After a slow start, the Rangers scored twice in the fourth and added three more runs in the fifth to prevail, 5-1. Mason Kelso drove in three runs, Ryder Simpson had two RBI and Keeler Vogt earned the victory.

“It was a different experience, but it was good to play on turf,” said Kelso. “A good day overall.”

“It was definitely different than what I’m used to, but I’ve pitched on turf before in travel ball, so I just came here and wanted to get the win,” said Vogt. “It took a little while to get used to it.”

“We’ve had good success in the years we’ve played a prelim,” added longtime Rangers coach Derek Soule. “You saw in the first three innings, it took us awhile, so it’s nice to have a prelim game to get the nerves out. I’m pleased where we’re at. We’ve played really well down the stretch.”

Greely then upset No. 2 Wells, 9-2, in the quarterfinals last Thursday, as Marky Axelsen homered, doubled and singled twice while driving in two runs, Cam Irish had two hits and three RBI and Sam Almy earned the victory.

That set up a Greely-Yarmouth semifinal round showdown Saturday in front of a huge crowd at Yarmouth High School. The Rangers went on top in the top of the first when Simpson hit an RBI single off Clippers’ starter David Swift, but after Cody singled in Sam Lowenstein in the bottom of the second, Matt Gautreau scored on Swift’s RBI double in the third to put Yarmouth on top for good. Swift held Greely in check for five innings before Cheever came on to close it out and after adding a run in the fourth, the Clippers scored twice more in the fifth before Swift’s RBI single in the sixth accounted for the 6-1 final score, as Yarmouth improved to 13-5.

“I don’t really consider myself a pitcher, but I had to pitch today,” Swift said. “I just stepped up and did it for all the boys.”

“We stayed on attack and were aggressive,” said Gautreau, who was hit by a pitch three different times.

“Greely’s a great team, a great program,” added Halsted. “We have all the respect in the world for them and we want to go toe-to-toe against them.”

The Rangers got two hits from Wyatt Soucie but finished the year 11-8.

“I’m just proud of this team for how hard they worked from the time we were struggling at 7-7 and there were questions whether we’d even get in the playoffs and from that point on, we played with a lot of energy, grit and heart and got two big wins at the end of the season and two nice playoff wins,” Soule said.

Greely will return the core of this year’s team and will be even stronger in 2024.

“We’ll greatly miss this group of seniors,” Soule said. “It’s a tremendous group of fun personalities, really good student-athletes. I had the pleasure of having a lot of them in my (social studies/English) classroom. They worked hard both in the classroom and on the field. All the pitchers, the catcher, the vast majority of starters are coming back. We’ll keep working and be back next year ready to compete.”

Yarmouth (13-5) takes on No. 1 Cape Elizabeth (14-3-1) in the Class B South Final Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., at St. Joseph’s College in Standish (see our website for game story). The Clippers lost, 1-0, at the Capers in the regular season finale May 30. Yarmouth is just 1-4 all-time versus Cape Elizabeth in the playoffs with a 5-0 setback in last year’s quarterfinals the most recent.

If the Clippers advance to the Class B state final for the first time since winning it all in 2017, they will battle either Old Town (15-3) or Ellsworth (14-4) Saturday at 1 p.m., at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. Yarmouth has never faced Ellsworth in the baseball playoffs, although the Clippers’ boys’ basketball team edged the Eagles in a memorable state final in 2022. Yarmouth beat Old Town, 3-0, to win the 2017 championship.

“If we score more than zero runs, we’ll have a chance,” said Halsted. “I always like my chances with this group. We’ve got guys who have won state championships in golf, football, soccer, basketball.”

Defending regional champion Freeport, the No. 7 seed, was upset by No. 10 Leavitt, 6-3, in the preliminary round last week to wind up 8-9. Gus Hollen had two hits and drove in two runs, but it wasn’t enough.

In Class A South, Falmouth the top seed after winning its final 15 games of the regular season, got a scare from No. 8 Cheverus in the quarterfinals last Friday, in a game moved to The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach due to poor conditions at Croker Field. The Navigators fell behind, 2-0, early, but went ahead to stay with a four-run third and prevailed, 6-3. Brennan Rumpf earned the victory and centerfielder Miles Gay made a critical diving catch with the tying runs on in the sixth.

“I always get a good first step,” said Gay. “I knew that ball couldn’t drop because it would be a tie game, so I knew I had to get it done. (Brennan) gave me a big hug when I came in.”

“We found a way,” added Falmouth coach Mike D’Andrea. “I give a lot of credit to Cheverus. They came out with energy and hit the ball really well, better than I expected. It wasn’t pretty, but we got it done.”

Saturday, the Navigators’ 16-game win streak and season came to an end with a 3-2 home loss to No. 4 Thornton Academy in the semifinals. Behind a strong effort from pitcher Eli Cowperthwaite, Falmouth led 2-0 going to the seventh inning, but an untimely error helped the Golden Trojans score three times and pull off the shocker, ending the Navigators’ campaign at 16-2.

“The ball off their bat was falling in, but that’s baseball,” D’Andrea lamented. “You put the ball in play, good things happen and (TA) did that.”

In Class C South, the Waynflete/NYA co-op squad, ranked fourth, made history in the quarterfinals last Thursday by outlasting No. 5 Mt. Abram, 9-6, to reach the semifinals for the first time. Tanner Anctil and Cal Nice each had three hits, including a home run, Nice drove in four runs and Anctil scored three runs. Cole Lambert earned the victory, Cooper St. Hilaire pitched two innings of relief and Daxton St. Hilaire got the final three outs for the save.

“It means a lot,” said Nice. “We’ve been a good team for a few years now and we haven’t been able to get past this round. We’re really strong this year and we have a really good team with a lot of chemistry.”

“This group comes out and fights every game and it took a team effort,” said Anctil. “It was a good team win today.”

“Our goal at the start of the season was to get further than we did last year,” added Waynflete/NYA coach Paul Grazia. “Last year, we were happy to get to (the quarterfinals) and we fell short. We’re so happy to take that next step this year. Our seniors have had tough playoff losses, so I’m so happy for them to get into the next round.”

Saturday, Waynflete/NYA went to top-ranked, undefeated Sacopee Valley, a team that it had lost two twice this spring by the 10-run mercy rule, and nearly sprung the upset of the tournament. Cooper St. Hilaire blanked the Hawks for five innings and Waynflete/NYA went on top with two runs in the top of the sixth, as Jack Byrne hit an RBI single and Cayleb Violette walked with the bases loaded. After Sacopee Valley tied it up with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, Waynflete/NYA scored a run in the top of the eighth on an error, but just three outs away from the regional final, the magic ran out, as the Hawks scored twice to prevail, 4-3, and end Waynflete/NYA’s fine season at 14-4.

“We have such a wonderful group of student-athletes and coaches and administrators who have helped put this together,” Grazia added. “Without the cooperation of both schools, it wouldn’t be possible. The kids have really bought into what we’re doing. We’re pretty even with players from both schools. They might compete against each other fiercely in other sports, but they come here and we’re one team.”

Softball

North Yarmouth Academy’s softball team, ranked first in Class D South after a dominant regular season, earned a bye into the semifinals where the Panthers made quick work of fifth-ranked Richmond, 14-3 (in five-innings), last Friday. Kailyn McIntyre drove in three runs, while winning pitcher Lily Rawnsley, Elizabeth Madden, Jordan Nash and Hayden Wienckowski all doubled and Cami Casserly hit a triple.

NYA (16-1) takes on No. 2 Searsport (11-5) in the Class D South Final Wednesday at 7 p.m., at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. The Panthers didn’t face Searsport this spring and the teams have no playoff history.

If NYA moves on to the state final for the first time in program history, it will battle either Penobscot Valley (13-0) or Machias (12-3) Saturday at 12:30 p.m., at Brewer High School.

Greely, ranked 10th in Class B South, was eliminated, 12-2 (in five-inning) at No. 7 Leavitt in last week’s preliminary round to wind up 6-11. Maia Wright had an RBI single.

“I don’t know if we showed up to play today,” Greely coach Danielle Cimino said. “We weren’t ourselves. I am really proud of them staying up and positive the whole game. They gave a great effort and I can’t ask for anything more than that.”

Outdoor track

Bangor was the site Saturday for the outdoor track New England championships.

NYA’s Sarah Moore stole the show, winning the girls’ long jump (19 feet, 00.25) and the triple jump (37-8.25) and placing second in the high jump (5-5).

Falmouth’s Ruby Prentiss was ninth in the discus (116-1) and 24th in the shot put (27-10.25). The Navigators’ 4×800 relay team (Sydney Young, Bella Koepsell, Fiona Hanrahan and Sara Tennent) placed 12th (10 minutes, 8.27 seconds). Samantha Gaudet came in 19th in the discus (107-3). Hanrahan was 20th in the two-mile (11:42.66).

Freeport got a fourth-place showing from Avery Baker-Schlendering in the high jump (5-3). The Falcons’ 4×400 relay team (Luciana Burgeois, Lizalyn Boudreau, Lilah Hall and Lucy Riggs) finished 17th (4:16.17). Kessa Benner tied for 20th in the pole vault (9-0). Burgeois was 27th in the 300 hurdles (49.72 seconds).

Greely’s 4×800 relay squad (Jacqueline Franklin, Abigail Lennox, Emma Stein and Rowan Barry) finished 14th (10:10.97).

Yarmouth’s Abby Noble was 23rd in the 200 (26.78) and 26th in the 100 (13.36). Chloe Bibula placed 28th in the two-mile (12:34.17).

On the boys’ side, Falmouth turned heads, as the 4×400 relay team (Max Shapiro, Finn Caxton-Smith, Miles Woodbury and Miles Gay) finished third with a time of 3:23.87. The 4×100 relay squad (Ali Carter, Shapiro, Jackson Boyd and Caxton-Smith) came in ninth (43.54). Judd Armstrong placed fourth in the high jump (6-4). Gay finished 22nd in the 200 (23.24). Kaleb Barrett was 25th in the long jump (19-10).

Freeport’s Reece Perry was second in the pole vault (13-9). Henry Horne finished seventh in the mile (4:19.26). The Falcons’ 4×800 relay team (Ian Moore, Jean Antoine, Conner Smith and Finn Furtney) placed 22nd (8:35.96).

Greely’s Liam Magoon was 14th in the pole vault (12-6). Kennett Adande Kinti finished 18th in the shot put (49-2.75).

Yarmouth’s 4×100 relay team (Wes Merrill, Colby Ting, Caleb Farrell and Harry Dougherty) came in 13th (43.8).

Kennebec Journal staff writer David Bailey, Sun Journal staff writer Tony Blasi and Press Herald staff writers Glenn Jordan and Travis Lazarczyk contributed to this story.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.

Copy the Story Link