Hall-Dale players celebrate after Jade Graham hit a home run Wednesday against Dirigo in Farmingdale. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

HALLOWELL — With its youngest roster in some time, the Hall-Dale softball team expects a few growing pains this spring.

But the Bulldogs, the four-time defending Class C champs, showed an ability to overcome early obstacles Wednesday in a 4-1 victory over Dirigo.

Senior shortstop Torie Tibbetts went 4 for 4 with an RBI for Hall-Dale (1-0),  and senior catcher Jade Graham went 3 for 4 with a solo home run in the third inning.

“We’re definitely really excited,” Graham said. “Dirigo is a really great team, to start out our season with that (was great). We were a little nervous.”

Catcher Aleiah Ward, who went 1 for 3 with a double, led the Cougars (0-1). Pitcher Lana Waite struck out seven.

Hall-Dale made two errors in the first inning, which helped the Cougars take a 1-0 lead. But Hall-Dale made it 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Mira Skehan drove in Tibbetts on a groundout. The Bulldogs scored a run in each of the next three innings and tightened up behind senior pitcher Lucy Gray, who struck out nine and allowed just two hits.

“The jitters were definitely there, we were making mistakes that we usually don’t make,” Graham said. “That’s always going to happen in the first few games of the season. But everyone composed themselves, no one got down on themselves. We were positive, had everyone’s backs and really stood our own against a really good team.”

How did they do it?

Tibbetts gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead in the second on an RBI single that drove in second baseman Sophia Murch.

“We started a little rough, couple of errors in the first inning,” said Hall-Dale coach Steve Acedo. “Only giving up the one run was big, and we came back. That was a positive. … We have a lot of young people out there in different positions, so we have a growing curve to handle there. But once we’re seven, eight games in, I think they’ll settle down.”

Graham gave Hall-Dale a 3-1 lead in the third with her solo home run, and Gray plated third baseman Genevieve Cicacarelli with an RBI single in the fourth.

Gray only got stronger as the game went on, striking out four in her final four innings.

Hall-Dale’s Torie Tibbetts legs out a play at first as Dirigo’s Keira Reny stretches for the ball. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Key moment

Graham’s solo home run in the third inning was the jolt the Bulldogs needed. Graham cracked a Waite pitch deep to right-center field, and it appeared it was going to be caught near the fence by right fielder Emma Witas. But the ball continued to carry and landed just on the other side of the fence.

“When it hit off my bat I was like, ‘Oh, that’s caught,'” Graham said. “I dropped my back shoulder and I never hit opposite field (home runs). But I slowed down because I thought it had been caught. But it was a nice surprise. Last year I had a rough hitting year. So far, so good. Don’t want to jinx it.”

Statistical leaders

Hall-Dale: SS Torie Tibbetts (4 for 4, RBI), Jade Graham (3 for 4, HR, RBI), Lucy Gray (7 IP, 2 H, 9Ks).

Dirigo: Aleiah Ward (1 for 3, 2B), Alyssa Ellis (1 for 1, 1B)

Up next

Hall-Dale: at Mountain Valley on Friday (4 p.m.)

Dirigo: vs Lisbon on Monday (4 p.m.)