PORTLAND — Addison DeRoche looked in midseason form for the Cheverus softball team. The Stags’ bats soon followed her lead.
DeRoche, the junior ace and Florida State commit, struck out 12 without allowing a hit, and Cheverus used third- and fifth-inning rallies to open its season with a 10-0 victory over Thornton Academy in five innings Saturday afternoon.
For the Stags, who reached the Class A South final last year after winning the state championship the year before, it was a satisfying beginning.
“We were very open-minded. It’s a new team, new vibe, we have some freshmen that have really added,” DeRoche said. “Today, going into it, we just wanted to pretty much dominate and come out on the right start.”
Dominant DeRoche
DeRoche, the two-time Varsity Maine Player of the Year, was overpowering again. She notched 11 of the first 12 outs by strikeout en route to her 10th no-hitter of five innings or more, allowing one base runner via walk. Only one batted ball, a line drive by Liv Marshall to left, went beyond the pitcher’s circle.
DeRoche was efficient, falling behind just one batter.
“She commanded the strike zone,” coach John Eisenhart said. “She was strike one. We’ve been talking about strike one, she’s been talking about strike one. It’s the best pitch in softball.”
Following the freshman
Thornton’s Marshall kept Cheverus scoreless through two innings, but the Stags adjusted the second time through the lineup.
After No. 9 hitter Maddie Brown was hit by a pitch with one out in the third, freshman leadoff hitter Cameron Gagnon followed with a triple to deep center and raced home when the throw to third skidded out of play.
“The energy definitely went up in the dugout. It was just a great experience,” Gagnon said. “It’s a big mental game, and when everybody’s excited, the bats get going and everything starts to fall into place.”
DeRoche (double) and Abby Kelly (single) also drove in runs in the four-run third. In the fifth, a Kylie Lamson triple drove in Hailey Lamontagne, Giana Murphy and Kelly, and Anna Kennedy-Jensen (double) and Sadie Collins (single) also had hits to bring in runs.
“Once through the lineup, people got to see her pitching, got used to that, and we were just able to put the bat on the ball,” Kennedy-Jensen said. “Cameron lit it up for us, and we were able to get on her back and start hitting girls in.”
Southern start
It was the official season opener for Cheverus, but it wasn’t the Stags’ first game overall. Cheverus played four games in three days during a Florida trip that lasted from Sunday through Thursday, facing Montverde Academy and Eustis High School on Monday before playing Montverde again Tuesday and Eustis for a second time Wednesday.
DeRoche said the trip helped the team knock off some rust.
“To just be able to kick our season off with that and compete that well, and show up and give it our all, it really just gave more confidence coming into this game,” she said.
Stat leaders
• Cheverus: Addison DeRoche (five innings, 12 strikeouts, no hits; RBI double), Kylie Lamson (1 for 2, triple, three RBI, run), Cameron Gagnon (2 for 4, triple, run, RBI), Hailey Lamontagne (2 for 4, two runs, RBI)
• Thornton Academy: Liv Marshall (4 2/3 innings, four strikeouts)