Windham catcher Stella Jarvais gets ready to tag Biddeford’s Charlotte Donovan at the plate during a regular-season Class A South showdown. Windham beat the 2022 Class A champions twice, including in the South final. Jarvais is batting .515, including .818 in three playoff games. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
CLASS A
Who: Windham (17-2) vs. Oxford Hills (18-1)
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: University of Southern Maine, Gorham
Outlook: Windham is pursuing its first Class A title, while Oxford Hills seeks its first since 1999. Windham has earned three playoff wins by a combined score of 14-0, including 5-0 in the South final over Biddeford. Brooke Gerry, a junior, has been dominant in the circle, throwing all three playoff shutouts and striking out 33 in 21 innings while allowing only five hits. The Eagles, however, have been just as potent at the plate, with a balanced attack led by Stella Jarvais (.515 average, including .818 in three playoff games), Gerry (.571), Kennedy Kimball (.452), Addie Caiazzo (.339), Oakley McLeod (.316) and Jaydn Kimball, who since returning for the start of the postseason is 4 for 7 with a home run and four RBI. … Oxford Hills was just as dominant in the North region before proving its mettle with a 4-3 walk-off win over Skowhegan in the final. Three Vikings – catcher Kaydence Morse, pitcher Kyeria Morse and first baseman Maddy Miller – were first-team all-KVAC, with Kaydence Morse (.443) named Player of the Year. A question for the Vikings will be handling nerves; Oxford Hills starts four freshmen, including Kyeria Morse (12-1, 0.50 ERA, 129 strikeouts), and two sophomores, and they’ll need to be ready for the moment to avoid falling into a hole against Gerry.
York’s McKayla Kortes has with a 12-1 record and 0.81 ERA this season. She’s also batting .556 with seven home runs. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
CLASS B
Who: York (18-1) vs. Nokomis (19-0)
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Brewer High
Outlook: Both of these teams were disappointed as top seeds last year, as York lost in the regional final and Nokomis fell in the quarterfinals. They’ve been rolling this year in the postseason, however, as York comes in with 30-9 run differential in three playoff wins, and Nokomis has outscored opponents 22-3. … The Wildcats are a balanced bunch, led on offense by McKayla Kortes (.556, seven home runs), Emily Estes (.423), Maddie Fitzgerald (.422), Lindsey Rivers (.417) and Maddy Raymond (.333), and featuring excellent outfield defense from Estes in center, Ella Moon in right and Hannah Cleary in left. Kortes, with a 12-1 record and 0.81 ERA, is the team’s ace. … Kortes will be going up against one of the state’s best. Nokomis junior Mia Coots is 19-0 with 238 strikeouts and a 0.48 ERA, and she’s held opponents to a paltry .090 batting average. The Warriors also hit well, with a team average of .390, and a key for the Wildcats will be silencing the bats of Megan Watson (.491, three homers, 25 RBI) and Raegan King (.448, two, 25), and keeping Camryn King, who is hitting .578 with 18 steals, off the bases.
CLASS D
Who: North Yarmouth Academy (17-1) vs. Machias (13-3)
When: 3 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Brewer High
Outlook: Softball has returned in a dramatic and storybook fashion at NYA. The Panthers have fielded only one stand-alone team since 2012 – they went 7-8 in 2021 – but they’ve rolled to their first state final thanks to a core of athletes from the school’s powerful soccer team. NYA made history by rallying to a 2-1 victory over defending champion Searsport, and now it’ll try to finish the unexpected run by taking down a Machias team making its own debut in a state final. … NYA has been led in the circle by Lily Rawnsley, who’s 16-1. Rawnsley, Elizabeth Madden, Hayden Wienckowski and Jordan Nash are all batting over .500. The Panthers are averaging 12.7 runs per game, but showed in the regional final they can win on pitching and defense if need be. …. Machias took down the fourth, first and second seeds in the North to reach the state championship game, scoring 13, 16 and nine runs.
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