STANDISH — Emily McKenney achieved more in the circle this season than many pitchers accomplish in their entire high school careers.
One accolade had always eluded her, though — winning her last game of the season.
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After falling to Bucksport in the Class C softball championship a season ago, McKenney and her Madison teammates left Bailey Field on the campus of St. Joseph’s College as champions following a 1-0 victory over previously undefeated Eastern C champ Calais.
“Last year was definitely tough losing. We lost last year on bunt situations so this year that was definitely the key to all of our practices,” McKenney said. “We took last year and learned from it and definitely progressed this year.”
“It’s amazing. We’ve worked so hard for this,” added classmate and Bulldog center fielder Kirsten Wood. “A lot of us are three-sport athletes and we were never able to do it, so this feels amazing because I’m a senior. It’s my last game; it’s good to go out with a bang.”
McKenney allowed just three hits in the complete-game shutout, striking out nine and walking one on 96 pitches — 69 of which were strikes.
“I’d be hard-pressed to find anybody that has put in the time year-round and the work that she does throughout the year,” Madison coach Chris LeBlanc said. “Statistically, I would say in my tenure … she’s in the same category as Denelle Surman.”
Surman led the Bulldogs to four straight state titles from 1994-97 — the last time Madison won a state title — and ironically Surman was on hand Saturday to give a speech to this year’s version of the team prior to the game.
For as good as McKenney was Saturday, however, Calais’ Olivia Smith matched her nearly pitch for pitch.
“Any pitcher of that caliber that gets to the state championship game is pitching all year round,” LeBlanc said. “They’re not starting in March and just doing the season. They’re playing all year round and working with pitching coaches and so on and so forth.
“I commend her; she did a great job and we weren’t able to hit her like we’ve been hitting in the season.”
Smith gave up just three hits in the game, but one of them proved to be the difference in the game — a two-out, inside-the-park home run from freshman and No. 9 hitter Madeline Wood in the bottom of the fifth.
In the three innings leading up to the fifth the Bulldogs had gotten a runner to second, yet each time failed to capitalize.
The bottom of the fifth seemed like it was going to be another fruitless inning after two quick outs and Wood fell behind 0-2 in the count.
After spoiling a good pitch from Smith, Wood got something she could handle and sent a line drive to right over the head of Kate Cundiff.
“When you hit it good you just don’t feel it so I could feel that it was a line drive and it was going far,” Wood said. “I definitely didn’t think I was going all the way home.”
After rounding first Wood could no longer follow the progress Cundiff was making toward tracking down the ball, so she picked up LeBlanc and relied on him to steer her in the right direction.
“I hit to right a lot though just the way my hit is,” Wood said. “I just have to trust my coach and what decision he makes to round me or to stop.”
LeBlanc’s arm never stopped — spinning like a wind turbine in a hurricane — and just as Wood rounded third Calais had gotten the ball to where the outfield grass meets the infield dirt.
“We were just talking about it, if Madeline Wood, Kirsten Wood or Kayla Bess gets up and they hit it down the line they’re going to be able to run all day,” LeBlanc said. “The girl who was doing the cut was going to have to throw a hell of a throw, and to be honest with you I’m not sure Madeline was going to stop anyways.
“I thought coming in it was going to be a one-run game — 2-1 or 1-0 — so I figured what the hell, might as well try it.”
The gamble paid off for the Bulldogs, as the throw was well off the mark and Wood scored the game’s only run standing up.
One run would prove to be all Madison needed though, as McKenney sat the next six batters down in order—striking out Paige Gillespie and Cundiff looking to end the game.
Evan Crawley — 621-5640
ecrawley@mainetoday.com
Twitter: Evan_Crawley
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