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Who will raise coveted championship cup in Camden Adult Coed Softball League? Defending titlist Benchwarmers, Free Press Redwings ready for final rumble Aug. 26 in Rockland.

ROCKLAND — With the parking lot at Jaycee Park overflowing with vehicles, many situated near the venue’s Old County Road entrance, on a glorious late-summer night, No. 3 Benchwarmers looked to secure their second straight Camden Adult Coed Softball League championship, while No. 2 Free Press Redwings hoped to keep its postseason train rolling, stave off elimination and live to fight another day.

In front of a large crowd of spectators, many fellow league players, Redwings scored two early runs and grabbed a 6-0 advantage — and control — against Benchwarmers on Thursday night, Aug. 25 to forge a 6-2 win and force a winner-take-all championship finale on Friday, Aug. 26 at the same venue.

Benchwarmer Tim Jackson. Photo by Mark Haskell

Benchwarmers and Redwings annually challenge for league supremacy and this summer has been no different.

The equally-matched opponents finished the regular season 11-3. In the playoffs, Free Press has gone 5-1 (after starting 1-1), to push their overall mark for the campaign to 16-4. Benchwarmers are 3-1 in the postseason and 14-4 overall.

To this point, Free Press has outscored opponents 245-117, while Benchwarmers stands at 218-91.

Free Press Redwing Reade Brower. Photo by Mark Haskell

In meetings between the opponents this season, Free Press has won 10-6 and 6-2 and lost 11-10.

Free Press includes Lucas Brower, Reade Brower, Crosby Johnson, Sam Vail, Isaac Brower, Joel Gabriele, Austin Sousa, Zach Wincklhofer, Fritz Burke, Scott Hastings, Doug Curtis, Mark Merchant, Juliette Laaka, Zoey Proctor, Kristy Hastings, Katlyn Rich, Marie Lufkin, Olga Zimmerman, Kathleen Capetta, Parker Gassett, Ibra Moustapher, Matthew Curtis, Maggie Hirshland, Alice Podolsky and Hillary Cunningham Chaloux.

Free Press Redwing Fritz Burke. Photo by Mark Haskell

The Benchwarmers include Lee Smith, Becca Smith, Tim Jackson, Sara Cullity, Abby Veilleux, Jason Yates, Dylan Maloney, Jordan Carter, Jay Young, Ben Ripley, Chris Burns, Kim Young, Jenn Daniels, Hunter Allen, David Young, Daphne Ripley, Robin Carter and Jessie Maloney. The manager is Lilly Smith and equipment manager Otis Smith.

On Thursday, Free Press built a 6-0 advantage, thanks, in the early going, on the long ball. Gabriele homered to center field in the first inning and Isaac Brower to deep left in the second. In the fourth, Scott Hastings had an RBI-single to give the Redwings a 3-0 cushion.

Free Press scored three more in the fifth as it loaded the bases and Gabriele plated a run on a fielder’s choice, then Vail roped a two-run double to right and was tagged out as he tried to stretch it into a triple for the final out of the stanza.

Benchwarmer Jay Young. Photo by Mark Haskell

Benchwarmers got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Jackson led with a deep double to right field and was doubled home by Ripley. Kim Young’s single plated Ripley before the next three batters were retired.

For Free Press, Laaka (single, double, run), Gabriele (single, home run, 2 runs), Vail (2 doubles), Lucas Brower (single, run), Lufkin (single), Isaac Brower (home run), Burke (double, run), Reade Brower (single) and Johnson (single) keyed the offense.

For Benchwarmers, Ripley (2 singles, double, run), Carter (single), Veilleux (double), Yates (single), Jackson (double, run), Kim Young (single), Cullity (single) and Jay Young (single) keyed the offense.

The league included a single-elimination playoff tournament followed by a double-elimination portion of the postseason.

Benchwarmer Sara Cullity. Photo by Mark Haskell

This year’s playoff tourney for the 15 teams included a single-elimination bracket for squads who finished eight through 15. The ultimate survivor of that tourney, No. 10 Smokin’ Rokys, entered the double-elimination portion of the postseason.

The regular season, which included nine weeks of play, began on Monday, June 13 and concluded on Thursday, Aug. 11. The postseason began on Friday, Aug. 12 and will conclude on Friday, Aug. 26.

Games are played during the week (not weekends) at Jaycee Park on Old County Road in Rockland, former Rockport Elementary School field off Rt. 1, Marge Jones Recreational Facility in Rockport, Camden Snow Bowl, Thomaston Little League Field and Lincolnville Central School. Games also have been played in Hope in the past.

Free Press Redwings in the Camden Adult Coed Softball League. Photo by Mark Haskell

The final regular-season standings were: Bushwhackers, 13-1, .929 winning percentage; Free Press Redwings, 11-3, .786; Benchwarmers, 11-3, .786; Bat-itude, 10-4, .714; Walter J. Read Carpentry, 10-4, .714; Willey Wharf, 9-5, .643; French & Brawn Baggers, 7-7, .500; Feener Pride, 7-7, .500; Steel-Pro, 7-7, .500; Smokin’ Rokys, 6-8, .429; Cats ’N Bats, 6-8, .429; Northeast Concrete, 5-9, .357; Graffam Brothers Lobstars, 2-12, .143; Fresh Off The Farm, 1-13, .071; and Good Guys, 0-14, .000.

During the regular season, Bushwhackers outscored opponents 217-60; Bat-itude, 163-130; Free Press, 187-88; Benchwarmers, 174-63; F&B Baggers, 177-140; Walter J. Read Carpentry, 186-128; Willey Wharf, 135-111; Cats ‘N Bats, 143-116; and Feener Pride, 134-132. On the flip side, Good Guys have been outscored 46-243.

Benchwarmers in the Camden Adult Coed Softball League. Photo by Mark Haskell

The scores from the single- and double-elimination playoff tourneys were:

Aug. 25 — No. 2 Free Press Redwings 6, No. 3 Benchwarmers 2.

Aug. 24 — No. 2 Free Press Redwings 10, No. 4 Bat-itude 1.

Aug. 23 — No. 2 Free Press Redwings 10, No. 7 French & Brawn Baggers 0.

Aug. 22 — No. 3 Benchwarmers 20, No. 4 Bat-itude 2; No. 2 Free Press Redwings 17, No. 1 Bushwhackers 15; and No. 7 French & Brawn Baggers 12, No. 10 Smokin’ Rokys 11.

Aug. 19 – No. 4 Bat-itude 12, No. 10 Smokin’ Rokys 6.

Aug. 18 — No. 1 Bushwhackers 14, No. 5 Walter J. Read Carpentry 2; No. 3 Benchwarmers 11, No. 2 Free Press Redwings 10; and No. 7 French & Brawn Baggers 18, No. 5 Willey Wharf 14.

Aug. 17 — No. 10 Smokin’ Rokys won by forfeit over No. 1 Bushwhackers. Erik Nason, league president, said Bushwhackers violated a league rule and teams voted to send the top-ranked squad to the loser’s bracket for the postseason.

Aug. 16 — No. 2 Free Press Redwings 5, No. 7 French & Brawn Baggers 0; No. 3 Benchwarmers 11, No. 6 Willey Wharf 10; and No. 10 Smokin’ Rokys 4, No. 11 Cats ’N Bats 2.

Aug. 15 — No. 11 Cats ’N Bats 6, No. 8 Feener Pride 2; No. 10 Smokin’ Rokys 15, No. 9 Steel-Pro 14; and No. 4 Bat-itude 5, No. 5 Walter J. Read Carpentry 3.

Aug. 12 — No. 8 Feener Pride 20, No. 15 Good Guys 2; No. 11 Cats ’N Bats 6, No. 12 Northeast Concrete 2; No. 9 Steel-Pro 21, No. 14 Fresh Off The Farm 5; and No. 10 Smokin’ Rokys 11, No. 13 Graffam Brothers Lobstars 0.

Walter J. Read Carpentry 13, French & Brawn Baggers 10.

Free Press Redwings 6, Feener Pride 2.

Willey Wharf 11, Cats ’N Bats 10.

Smokin’ Rokys’ Danny Wellman, left, and Sarah Grant. Photo by Ken Waltz

Free Press Redwings 14, Cats ’N Bats 4.

Bushwhackers 31, Fresh Of The Farm 5.

Willey Wharf’s Will Incremona. Photo by Ken Waltz

Fresh Off The Farm 11, Good Guys 6.

Cats ’N Bats 11, Northeast Concrete 1.

Benchwarmer Ben Ripley. Photo by Ken Waltz

French & Brawn Baggers 25, Smokin’ Rokys 7.

Walter J. Read Carpentry 33, Fresh Off The Farm 9.

Smokin’ Roky Lauren Sargent. Photo by Ken Waltz

Free Press Redwings 18, Graffam Brothers Lobstars 9.

Feener Pride 12, French & Brawn Baggers 10.

Walter J. Read Carpentry 19, Graffam Brothers Lobstars 2.

French & Brawn Bagger Rowena Motylewski. Photo by Ken Waltz

Northeast Concrete 9, French & Brawn Baggers 7.

Free Press Redwings 25, Good Guys 8.

Willey Wharf 12, Fresh Off The Farm 6.

French & Brawn Bagger Jack Hopkins. Photo by Ken Waltz

French & Brawn Baggers 10, Cats ’N Bats 9.

Walter J. Read Carpentry 20, Steel-Pro 3.

Walter J. Read Carpentry 10, Willey Wharf 9.

Cats ’N Bats 20, Fresh Off The Farm 4.

Willey Wharf’s Chris Leon. Photo by Ken Waltz

French & Brawn 16, Free Press Redwings 4.

Cats ’N Bats 17, Good Guys 1.

Benchwarmer Sara Cullity stumbles but maintains her balance after a tough catch. Photo by Ken Waltz

Northeast Concrete 20, Fresh Off The Farm 7.

Bushwhackers 15, French & Brawn Baggers 3.

Feener Pride 11, Graffam Brothers Lobstars 10.

Willey Wharf’s Walter Marr. Photo by Ken Waltz

Bat-itude 19, French & Brawn Baggers 12.

French & Brawn Bagger Cassidy Fimple. Photo by Ken Waltz

French & Brawn Baggers 13, Fresh Off The Farm 3.

Cats ’N Bats 9, Graffam Brothers Lobstars 0.

Benchwarmer Abby Veilleux, right, and Willey Wharf’s Amanda Catalano. Photo by Ken Waltz

Smokin’ Rokys 25, Graffam Brothers Lobsters 13.

Benchwarmers 18, Walter J. Read Carpentry 3.

Benchwarmers 12, French & Brawn Baggers 6.

Willey Wharf’s Jacinda Martinez. Photo by Ken Waltz

Free Press Redwings 21, Fresh Off The Farm 2.

Graffam Brothers Lobstars 13, Good Guys 3.

Walter J. Read Carpentry 20, Smokin’ Rokys 3.

Walter J. Read Carpentry 8, Northeast Concrete 2.

Feener Pride 7, Fresh Off The Farm 3.

Benchwarmers wins by forfeit over Steel-Pro.

Smokin’ Rokys 8, Cats ’N Bats 7.

Bat-itude 9, Fresh Off The Farm 5.

Free Press Redwings 29, Willey Wharf 1. (5 inns.)

Bat-itude 16, Walter J. Read Carpentry 13. (9 inns.)

French & Brawn Baggers 28, Graffam Brothers Lobstars 10. (5 inns.)

Walter J. Read Carpentry 22, Good Guys 4.

French & Brawn Baggers 13, Steel-Pro 6.

Free Press Redwings 13, Walter J. Read Carpentry 5.

Willey Wharf 20, French & Brawn Baggers 5.

Feener Pride 12, Cats ’N Bats 7.

Benchwarmers won by forfeit over Graffam Brothers Lobstars.

Benchwarmers 37, Fresh Off The Farm 1.

Willey Wharf 10, Graffam Brothers Lobstars 2.

Walter J. Read Carpentry 11, Cats ’N Bats 7.

Smokin’ Rokys 15, Fresh Off The Farm 6.

Free Press Redwings 9, Smokin’ Rokys 2.

Steel-Pro 17, Fresh Off The Farm 10.

French & Brawn Baggers 21, Good Guys 1.

Northeast Concrete 19, Graffam Brothers Lobstars 3.

Bushwhackers 25, Walter J. Read Carpentry 4.

Graffam Brothers Lobstars 25, Fresh Off The Farm 5.

Walter J. Read Carpentry 11, Feener Pride 10.

Free Press Redwings 14, Northeast Concrete 5.

MaineStay Media/VillageSoup sports staff can be reached by email at sports@villagesoup.com. 

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