Five softball takeaways heading into Maine state tournaments

The final regular-season games have been played, and softball playoff season is ready to begin again.

With the Heal point standings final, here are some thoughts heading into the postseason:

Clear favorite in A South, parity in A North

In Class A South, the power structure has played out as expected. Defending champion Cheverus (16-0), led by overpowering sophomore pitcher Addison DeRoche (9-0, 0.44 ERA, 135 strikeouts in 63 innings) leading the way, is the favorite, with Windham (14-2), perhaps the state’s deepest team, right behind.

From there, based on results, there’s a drop-off. Gorham is ranked third at 13-3 but went 0-3 against the top two seeds while being outscored 20-2. No. 4 Kennebunk (12-4) has an ace in Julia Pike but scored zero runs while going 0-4 against the top three seeds.

A North, meanwhile, looks like a free-for-all. There are no juggernauts, no big gaps in records. No. 1 Bangor is 12-4, No. 5 Skowhegan is 11-5. No. 6 Hampden Academy beat Bangor and No. 2 Oxford Hills, No. 7 Edward Little beat No. 4 Camden Hills, and No. 8 Lewiston beat No. 3 Brewer and Skowhegan. Parity, often at a premium in softball, is everywhere in this region.

“Everyone’s got (at least) four losses. That’s not usually normal,” Skowhegan coach Lee Johnson said. “That just shows the competitiveness of our league. We saw it all year long. Every game we played, no matter who we played, top to bottom, every game was competitive.”

Does that make for a fun tournament, knowing everyone truly has a chance?

“It’s probably fun for people watching,” Johnson said. “From a coaching angle, it’s pretty stressful.”

Can anyone in B South beat York?

No. 1 York (16-0) hasn’t lost to a Class B South team since the 2022 regional final against Gardiner, and beating the Wildcats this year won’t be easy. Sophomore Sarah Orso (.544, eight home runs) throws hard in the circle and is in the heart of a powerful lineup, along with Maddie Fitzgerald (.642, five homers), Piper Catanese (.648), Nya Avery (.565) and Maren Robinson (.436, four homers), that scored 240 runs in 16 games, most of which were shortened by the mercy rule.

The tournament, however, brings KVAC teams into the mix and widens the pool of challengers. Two KVAC teams, Leavitt and Medomak Valley (both 13-3), are seeded directly behind York and have handled tough competition this season (Medomak beat Camden Hills, and Leavitt defeated Medomak).

Containing the York firepower won’t be easy. The Wildcats scored seven or more runs in every game and reached double figures in 14 of 16.

Is there a changing of the guard in C and D South?

Both C South and D South feature teams looking to extend championship runs. Hall-Dale (14-2) has won four straight C titles, and North Yarmouth Academy (13-3) has won two in a row in D, but neither team will go into the tournament as the top seed.

The Bulldogs are No. 2 behind Monmouth Academy (16-0), and the Panthers are ranked second behind Buckfield (15-1). Monmouth blanked Hall-Dale 4-0 in their only head-to-head meeting behind 11 punchouts from Shannah Parsons, and Buckfield is undefeated against Class D competition, losing only to Class B contender Leavitt (the teams split two games).

Still, Hall-Dale and NYA can’t be overlooked. NYA scored an impressive 14-4 win over B South challenger Freeport in its regular-season finale, and Hall-Dale won its final three games after the Monmouth loss.

“We do feel like we have a shot at it being our time,” Monmouth coach Dave Kaplan said. “We’re also cognizant of the fact that Hall-Dale has a ton of playoff experience in the last four or five years. That’s not something to be taken lightly.

“(The win) got that monkey off the back. We hadn’t beaten them, I don’t know, since Moses came down from the mountain.”

Buckfield and NYA did not play in each other in the regular season. The Panthers did drop all three matchups with No. 3 St. Dom’s, including a 12-3 setback on May 28.

Finale a boost for Cheverus, Windham

When a region’s No. 1 and No. 2 teams meet in a regular-season finale, it’s hard to imagine both coming away happy with the result. But that’s how it played out Thursday in Portland, where Cheverus rallied to beat Windham, 2-1, on Delia Tremble’s fifth-inning RBI single.

Cheverus outscored its first 13 opponents 161-16, but a 3-0 victory over Kennebunk and the win over Windham were the kind of games the Stags can expect coming up.

“It just helps us going into playoffs to see how we’re competing against these really good teams. That’s how we know where our strong places are and where we need work in,” senior catcher Bella Napolitano Aberle said. “It’s like studying for an exam.”

Windham, which lost by only a run despite not pitching ace Kennedy Kimball, came away with more reps against DeRoche and a confidence that a third meeting, if it happens, can be the Eagles’ turn.

“I think it’s huge,” coach Darcey Gardiner said. “I’m really proud of how my team attacked Addison and tried to change their approaches up there in the box.”

Don’t sleep on …

Here are some lower-seeded teams to watch:

• Bonny Eagle (7-9, No. 8 in A South): The Scots would have to beat Cheverus if they survive a prelim against No. 9 Massabesic, but they tested the defending champions in a 5-2 loss on May 28.

• Gardiner (7-9, No. 6 in B South): The Tigers have won four of their last five and have victories over No. 2 Medomak Valley and No. 3 Leavitt.

• Nokomis (8-8, No. 6 in B North): Mia Coots is gone, but wins over Gardiner and Hall-Dale show that the defending champions are still a tough matchup.

• Dirigo (11-5, No. 4 in C South): The Cougars have gone 11-2 since an 0-3 start and battled Monmouth to a 4-3 loss in the regular-season finale.