Gorham Holds Off Windham Rally to Advance in Class A South Softball Tournament

GORHAM — A four-run lead with three outs remaining should have been safe. The Gorham Rams made sure it was, escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh inning to defeat Windham 6-3 in a Class A South softball quarterfinal on Friday, ending the Eagles' reign as state champions.

The fourth-seeded Rams improved to 14-3 and will face top-seeded Cheverus in the semifinals. Fifth-seeded Windham closed its season at 11-6.

Gorham led 6-1 after two innings and appeared to be cruising. But with the victory nearly in hand, Windham's Abhilasha Jain opened the seventh with a single, Addie Caiazzo doubled to left center, and Yani Kostopoulos drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Suddenly, the defending champions had life.

Gorham coach Jason Dubail gathered his players in the pitcher's circle for a quick meeting. Senior shortstop Sawyer VonderHaar said the message was straightforward: stay composed and trust the defense.

"He was saying this girl isn't the tying run, the next girl isn't, the next girl isn't," VonderHaar said. "We have every opportunity to make these three outs and go win it."

The Rams did just that. Senior pitcher Bella McBrady got Oakley McLeod to pop out to second, retired Nola Bryant on a sacrifice fly to center that scored Jain, and then induced a flyout to right field from Evelyn Anderson to seal the win.

"The seniors aren't ready to be done with softball," Dubail said. "We have six seniors on this team, and they just weren't ready to be done."

McBrady delivered a complete-game performance, striking out six while also contributing offensively with two hits and two runs batted in.

"We've been working so hard for this," she said. "It's our last year, and we kind of just put everything into this game."

McBrady acknowledged she had to fight her nerves during the tense final inning.

"I was just trying to keep it not in the center of the plate, and trying to get them to hit it to people, so we could get those outs," she said. "Just staying calm."

VonderHaar credited McBrady's composure under pressure for the victory.

"I mean, who isn't?" VonderHaar answered when asked if she was nervous. "But I think we all did a great job of composing ourselves and Bella made great pitches."

Windham coach Darcey Gardiner pointed to the team's persistent offensive struggles as the difference in the game. The Eagles put runners on base in six of seven innings but stranded eight base runners. They also drew seven walks in the first two innings alone but failed to capitalize.

"That really hurt us," Gardiner said. "Seven walks in the first two innings, leaving eight base runners on. But then settling down in innings three through seven, it was nice to see the fight."

Windham's best chance to mount a comeback before the seventh came in the fourth inning, when Lacie Higgins singled and moved to third on a groundout and a bunt. Caiazzo then drove a ball deep to center field, but Gorham's Terra Rioux made a running catch to end the threat.

"That catch might have won the game," Dubail said. "I think she's one of the best center fielders in the state."

The game began with Windham striking first. Caiazzo tripled in the opening inning and scored on a groundout by McLeod to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Gorham responded immediately, scoring four times in the bottom of the first. VonderHaar walked and scored on McBrady's infield single, Abigail Buckelew and McBrady came in on wild pitches, and Rioux scored on a groundout by Audrey Arsenault.

Gorham extended its lead in the second inning, with VonderHaar scoring on an error following a passed ball and Buckelew coming home on McBrady's double. Windham trimmed the gap to 6-2 in the third when Caiazzo doubled and scored on a single by Bryant. Jain's run in the seventh on Bryant's sacrifice fly accounted for the final margin.

Statistical leaders for Windham included Caiazzo, who finished the season batting .642, with a triple and two doubles while scoring two runs. Bryant added a double and a single, Higgins had two singles and an RBI, Jain had a single and a run, and McLeod drove in a run.

For Gorham, McBrady finished with seven innings of work, six strikeouts, a single and a double, and two RBI. VonderHaar had a single and scored twice, Buckelew scored two runs, and Arsenault added a single and an RBI.

Windham's Kostopoulos, who entered the game batting .556 with 11 home runs, was held without a hit but drew a crucial walk in the seventh to load the bases.

The victory sends Gorham into a semifinal matchup against Cheverus, the top seed in the bracket, as the Rams pursue their first state championship in softball.