Richmond and Monmouth each dealt with their first losses of the season last week.

Richmond split a doubleheader against Rangeley, winning the first game 14-0 and losing the second 9-5. The loss was the first in East-West Conference play for the Bobcats since they fell to Buckfield on May 20, 2010.

“The second game we didn’t hit at all,” Richmond coach Rick Coughlin. “We didn’t take the opportunity with runners in scoring position like we did in the first game.”

Coughlin has a veteran team loaded with players who have been to a number of state championship games. The won a soccer title last fall and lost in the state basketball final in March. After winning a state softball title in 2010, they lost to the same team — Deer Isle-Stonington — last spring in the state final.

“It’s better to lose during the regular season,” Coughlin said. “Last year we went undefeated and got beat in the states. At least they know if they don’t play the way they’re capable of, someone can beat them.”

After opening the season at 11-0, Monmouth lost 4-0 to Lisbon last Wednesday and 6-5 to Spruce Mountain in 15 innings on Friday.

“Let’s put it this way,” Monmouth coach Rachel Bernier said. “I didn’t sleep a lot this weekend. As a coach I want it so badly for them.”

The Mustangs came out flat against Lisbon, this following a perfect game from senior Reen Kahl on Monday against Hall-Dale. The Greyhounds got a weak hit up the middle and as Bernier put it “We just fell apart after that. We’ve got to keep our composure and keep working until the last out.”

They discussed the loss at Thursday’s practice and played much better against Spruce Mountain.

“We had a lot of chances and we let them back in and vice versa,” Bernier said. “At this time of the season, you don’t take anything for granted.”

Richmond and Monmouth will scrimmage Friday in preparation for the postseason.

• • •

Freshmen don’t often break into varsity lineups in any high school sport, but there are several making contributions this spring to softball teams in central Maine.

In a recent game between Hall-Dale and Monmouth, there were six freshmen on the field for the opening pitch, including Hall-Dale pitcher Olivia Maynard. Freshmen have played Monmouth’s left side of the infield the entire season, with Caroline Bonenfant at short and Shannon Buzzell at third.

“They were a huge surprise,” Monmouth coach Rachel Bernier said. “To make that transition from middle school to a varsity league is tremendous. They’ve made plays that I haven’t seen some older kids make.”

Unbeaten Cony only added a few players to its roster, but one of them is freshman Arika Brochu, who pitches or plays center field. Brochu is hitting nearly .500 out of the leadoff spot for the Rams, is 4-0 on the mound and getting the job done in the field.

“She can run and catch and throw,” Cony coach Rocky Gaslin said. “I think the ones that put their time in (play).

Gaslin pointed out Brochu has been playing softball for several years already, participates in five to seven tournaments each summer and works on her game during the winter.

“She plays year-round,” Gaslin said.

Maranacook and Gardiner each started a pair of freshmen in their recent meeting with Kaitlyn Chick and Elsie Linton each getting a hit and figuring prominently in Maranacook’s 4-3 win. Gardiner’s Lily Chepke plays second base and leads off for the Tigers while Kristal Smith, also a ninth grader, plays first base or pitches and bats cleanup.

Erskine freshman Taylor Boucher starts at shortstop while Oak Hill, another tournament bound team, starts freshmen Sadie Goulet at second base and Kayla Veilleux in left field or at DH.

“Those are two pretty hard-core athletes,” Oak Hill coach Allyson Collins said. “They both play field hockey and basketball. They’re good kids that work hard and want to be there.”

• • •

Championship games in the Class A division of the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference and Mountain Valley Conference are set.

The KVAC is changing its format this year and will include the top four teams in Eastern Maine Class A instead of the two it has in the past. The matchups are determined by final Heal point standings and all three games will be played at Cony High School beginning at 11 a.m. with a matchup between No. 1 Cony and No. 4 Bangor. No. 2 Messalonskee plays No. 3 Erskine at 1:30 p.m. followed by the championship game between the two winners at 4. Because of a forecast of rain Saturday, Cony athletic director Paul Vachon has considered moving the games to Friday pending approval by the other teams.

The MVC game will be played Monday night at St. Dominic in Auburn between No. 1 Madison and No. 2 Monmouth, which won the regular season meeting 2-1.

• • •

First-year Oak Hill coach Allyson Collins would like a couple of games back.

“I would have liked to see more games in the win column,” she said. “We can definitely do it. If we’re on, we’re on.”

The Raiders finished the regular season at 9-7 and will play a prelim game against Mountain Valley in the Western Maine Class B tournament. Collins said when her defense commits two or fewer errors, they generally win. Any more than that and things begin to fall apart.

They have a solid pitcher in junior Kortni Michaud, who also leads the team in hitting at .461.

“She throws pretty hard,” Collins said. “She also has a good changeup and a good drop.”

Alyssa Rouleau and Alexis Priest have also been consistent hitters for Oak Hill.

Oak Hill, which plays in the Class B division of the KVAC, didn’t face Mountain Valley which plays a somewhat weaker schedule against a number of Class C teams in the Mountain Valley Conference.

“We’re hoping their wins aren’t as strong as ours,” Collins said.

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

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