The Messalonskee softball team started 7-0 then had two brutal games, losing 9-0 to Bangor and 10-4 to Brewer. The Eagles had beaten each team by a run earlier in the season, and the only excuse Messalonskee coach Leo Bouchard would offer was that the Brewer game was on a Saturday — the same day as the school prom.

“I will never, ever play a Saturday game that’s a prom night for us again,” Bouchard said. “We were embarrassed against Brewer. They scored five runs in the second inning on one hit. We’re better than that.”

Messalonskee has won four straight since those two losses. Bouchard said the play is tighter and the fielding is crisper. Four of the Eagles’ final five games are against teams that should qualify for the playoffs. Bouchard told his players it’s important to make a good showing there, to prove that they weren’t simply playing over their heads in the first half of the season.

“They hated (those losses),” Bouchard said. “It left a bad taste in their stomach. And they responded.”

Last year’s ace pitcher, sophomore Kai Smith, is still recovering from illness but is pitching on the junior varsity team and threw four innings against Lawrence on Wednesday. Sophomore Kassi Michaud has been the No. 1 starter this spring, and while she’s not overpowering, she mixes her pitches well and has good control.

First baseman Bri Garland and center fielder Courtney Veilleux are two of Messalonskee’s top defensive players. Garland isn’t as tall as the typical first baseman, but she’s strong on bunts and pop flies. Veilleux leads the Eagles in stolen bases and is gaining notice for her above-average arm.

“She’s thrown four people out at the plate to end innings,” Bouchard said. “She’s also thrown to the plate twice where we’ve successfully gotten people out in a rundown. She’s my big surprise this year.”

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Madison is 12-2 after a 12-0 win over Telstar on Wednesday, and pitcher Emily McKenney is a big factor. McKenney, a sophomore, has kept the Bulldogs in every game. Her two losses were by scores of 1-0 and 2-1.

“She’s keeping hitters off balance,” Madison coach Al Veneziano said. “She’s not walking people — maybe one walk a game. If we’re not giving them free bases, it makes it much harder with a pitcher like Emily.”

Kayla Belanger is a fine catcher for Madison, and Kayla Booker has become one of the best shortstops in the Mountain Valley Conference.

“She’s got great range,” Veneziano said. “She’s going into the hole to take hits away. She’s going up the middle to take hits away. She’s just playing a great shortstop.”

Senior third baseman Nathalie Michaud, one of Madison’s best hitters, is still out with a broken hand.

“She’s got a week or two left to get the doctor’s OK,” Veneziano said. “But hopefully, she’ll be back before the end of the season.”

Shelby Cutten and Kirsten Wood have both filled in well in the leadoff spot with Michaud out. The Bulldogs, like every other team, had their problems hitting Monmouth’s hard-throwing Reen Kahl. Veneziano wants his players to do a better job of adjusting to the count and knowing which pitches to chase.

“You gotta get in there and hit. You can’t watch pitches go by,” Veneziano said. “Some pitchers, you can watch those pitches go by. Somebody like Kahl and the girl at Hall-Dale (Olivia Maynard), you gotta go up there and hit the ball.”

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Maine Central Institute is 5-10 with one game remaining in the regular season. The Huskies wouldn’t make the playoffs if they started today, but their final game is against Winslow and a win would likely earn them enough points to make the Eastern B tournament.

MCI has been playing almost evenly against quality teams, losing 2-0 to Maranacook on Monday and 3-0 to Nokomis on Wednesday. Winslow defeated the Huskies, 4-1, on April 20.

“We need to bring our A game,” MCI coach Nicole Steeves said. “We need to want it more than they do.”

Courtney Fowler has been solid in the circle and is also one of MCI’s best hitters. Steeves switched some players around in midseason, but she hasn’t moved catcher Kat Smedberg or center fielder Alli Sinclair.

“Kat, nobody’s stealing off her,” Steeves said. “She is a rock back there. Alli Sinclair, she holds down the outfield.”

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If you watch Valley play, the infielders have a different look than other teams around the state. The change came about from a frightening incident early in the season.

Valley pitcher Teagan Laweryson was working in the second game of the spring when she took a line drive off her head. Laweryson is back playing now, but sat out a couple weeks before getting a CT scan and finding out she had only soft tissue damage.

“It was terrifying for pretty much everyone who was standing there,” said Valley coach Scott Laweryson, Teagan’s father.

Teagan Laweryson now plays shortstop, and she and the other infielders wear masks while in the field. Scott Laweryson picked up the masks at a sporting goods store.

“I’ve got four girls wearing them now, and I don’t think they’d take the field without them,” he said. “Their fielding’s picked up a little bit because they’re not worried about taking one off the face.”

Teagan Laweryson turned two double plays Monday as the Cavaliers earned their first win of the season, beating Forest Hills 6-3. Valley played errorless ball, and continued to improve at the plate. Coach Laweryson said Kim Bergeron, Kirsten Mathieu, Teagan Laweryson, and Sydney Vincent have been leading the offense.

“I’m impressed with the girls because they hit the ball well,” Coach Laweryson said. “The hits are mostly at people, but they’re making good contact.”

Valley also won one game last year, but Coach Laweryson insists this is a much better team.

“Our scores and our record don’t show it, but the girls are coming along really, really well,” he said. “They’re doing leaps and bounds above last year.”

Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243

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