LIMESTONE, Maine — Elizabeth Bencivenga didn’t need her bat on Saturday, but her right arm was pivotal in getting the Eagle softball team back into the Eastern Maine championship game.
Bencivenga tossed her fourth consecutive shutout, spinning a brilliant three-hitter as Limestone-MSSM bested No. 5 Penobscot Valley High School, 3-0, in the regional Class D semifinal matchup.
In addition to her pitching duties, Bencivenga is also the Eagles’ top power hitter as evidenced by her 13 regular-season home runs. However, she didn’t have a chance to demonstrate those abilities as she was intentionally walked in all three of her plate appearances. Still, Bencivenga stole two bases and scored one of the runs.
The senior said she didn’t get frustrated for not getting a chance to swing the bat, instead, she “made it a challenge” when she stepped to the mound.
“I just took it one inning at a time and the big thing was throwing strikes and letting my great defense do the work,” Bencivenga said.
The outing was impressive. She allowed nine baserunners — three reaching on errors, two on walks and one on a hit batsman in addition to the three singles — and struck out seven batters. No PVHS baserunner advanced past second base. Bencivenga has not allowed a run all month, a span that includes the final two regular season game against Hodgdon and Fort Kent and Thursday’s 7-0 quarterfinal victory over East Grand.
First-year Eagle coach Jamie Albert said it was another classic outing for Bencivenga.
“It is impressive how much she has developed as a pitcher,” said Albert, noting this is her first year as the team’s ace after Melissa Cantafio had handled the duties the past two seasons. “She works the batter and is always a pitch ahead. She shows outstanding maturity out there.”
Bencivenga was aided by some solid infield defense, as second baseman Jackie Peers and first baseman Maddie Williams each made nifty catches on pop flies, shortstop Kassee Albert had a pair of assists on grounders and caught a pop-up and catcher Morganne Emery did not allow a passed ball throughout the game and gunned down baserunner Kasha Sereylco at second on a stolen base attempt to end the game.
The Eagles scored their first two runs in the second inning, as Emery led off with a bunt and advanced to third on the play on a pair of Howler throwing errors. Annie Sinclair, the team’s other senior, singled her in and then stole second, advanced to third on Delaney Rossignol’s sacrifice bunt and scored on a hard double to left field by Peers.
Limestone-MSSM added an insurance tally an inning later after Bencivenga reached on a walk, stole second and scored on a double to right-center field by Williams.
PVHS pitcher Ariana McKinnon had a strong pitching game, throwing a five-hitter and walking three. Sereylco had two of her team’s hits, with Courtney McKechnie getting the other.
Two days earlier in the quarterfinal, also played in Limestone, the first three Eagle batters of the game reached and two scored to set the tone early. Peers singled, Albert doubled her in and Megan Faucher singled in Albert to provide the quick lead.
Back-to-back doubles by Peers and Albert in the second made it 3-0, while Jessica Lindsey ripped an RBI single in the third to extend the lead to four.
Limestone-MSSM put the game away in the bottom of the sixth thanks to Bencivenga’s two-run single down the third base line which plated both Albert and Faucher, who had each singled earlier in the frame.
Bencivenga was effective on the mound, allowing only one hit all game — a sixth-inning single by Kim Stoddard. Bencivenga struck out eight batters and walked only one.
The Eagles were scheduled to play No. 3 Stearns of Millinocket in Tuesday’s 3 p.m. Eastern Maine championship game at Coffin Field in Brewer. It was Limestone-MSSM’s third trip to the regional final in the last four years. A win would move the Eagles into Saturday’s state championship game to be played at St. Joseph’s College in Windham.
