(Ed. Note: For the full Falmouth-Wells and Greely-Cape Elizabeth baseball and Yarmouth-Waynflete girls’ lacrosse game stories, visit theforecaster.net)

The tennis postseason is in full swing and Forecaster Country is about to see an abundance of baseball, softball and lacrosse playoff action.

Here’s a glimpse:

Tennis

Falmouth’s Justin Brogan made a spirited run to the finals of the boys’ state singles tournament. Brogan, seeded third, defeated Brewer’s Alex Burgess (6-0, 6-0), Cape Elizabeth’s Ross Sherman (6-1, 6-0), sixth-ranked Jordan Friedland of Lincoln Academy (6-1, 6-4) and No. 2 Bob Tom Flynn of John Bapst (6-1, 6-2) to reach the championship round. There, Brogan beat top-ranked Patrick Ordway of Waynflete in the first set, 6-3, then dropped the next two, 4-6, 3-6, to finish runner-up.

Falmouth’s Brendan McCarthy, seeded 12th, was a 6-1, 6-3 victor over Zheyang Xue of George Stevens Academy, then lost to fifth-ranked Tyler Adams of Bonny Eagle (1-6, 2-6). Teammate Taylor Dimick downed Cape Elizabeth’s Satchel McCarthy (6-1, 3-6, 6-2) before being eliminated by Flynn, 0-6, 0-6. NYA’s Burke Paxton won his first round match, 6-0, 6-4, over John Vannorsdall of Camden Hills, then lost to Flynn, 1-6, 0-6.

On the girls’ side, two Falmouth girls reached the semifinals.

Annie Criscione, ranked second, beat Cony’s Taylor Edmondson (6-1, 6-0), Hampden Academy’s Ashley Woodside (6-2, 6-0) and McAuley’s Addie Devine (6-0, 6-1) to reach the semis, where she lost to Brunswick’s Maisie Silverman, the No. 3 seed, 3-6, 5-7.

Analise Kump, the No. 4 seed, defeated Lincoln Academy’s Aimee Keushguerian (6-1, 6-0), Cheverus’ Maria Cianchette (6-2, 6-0) and No. 12 Frankie Lally of Edward Little (6-4, 5-7, 6-4) before falling to eventual champion Maria Varano of Kennebunk (2-6, 4-6).

The team competition is down to the regional final round with Falmouth leading the way.

The Falmouth girls, the three-time defending state champions and undefeated top seed in Western Class B, blanked No. 8 Mountain Valley and No. 5 Cape Elizabeth by 5-0 scores to set up a Wednesday regional final date against No. 2 Oak Hill, a team the now 14-0 Yachtsmen did not face this year.

Oak Hill eliminated No. 3 Yarmouth, 3-2, in the semifinals, ending the Clippers’ season at 11-3. Yarmouth had ousted No. 6 Greely, 3-2, in the quarterfinals, ending the Rangers’ year at 6-7.

In Western C, the four-time defending champion Panthers of North Yarmouth Academy, seeded second, survived an upset bid from No. 7 Boothbay in the quarterfinals, 3-2, but were knocked out in the semifinals Monday, 3-2, by No. 6 Winthrop, ending their year at 12-2 and their four-year run as state champion. NYA was playing short-handed in the playoffs after three players were suspended for a post-Prom party.

On the boys’ side, unbeaten and top-ranked Falmouth beat No. 8 Morse (5-0) and No. 5 York (5-0) to advance to the regional final versus No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (13-1). The Yachtsmen won, 5-0, at the defending Class B state champion Capers on May 4.

The state final matches are Saturday at Colby College in Waterville. Class B starts at 4 p.m.

Baseball

The Greely and Yarmouth baseball teams are so closely matched this spring that it took a coin toss to determine which of the squads would earn the coveted top seed for the upcoming Western B playoffs.

For the second time this school year, athletic director Mike Griffin came out on the wrong end of the toss (the Rangers lost a three-way coin toss with Cape Elizabeth and Falmouth to determine who made the football playoffs back in the fall) and the Clippers wound up with the No. 1 spot and Greely second.

Yarmouth finished the regular year 13-3 after last Wednesday’s 10-4 home win over North Yarmouth Academy. The Clippers, regional runners-up behind Cape Elizabeth last spring, will host the winner of a preliminary round game between No. 8 Gray-New Gloucester (10-6) and No. 9 York (8-8) in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Yarmouth beat the Patriots, 9-6, at home May 10 and held off the visiting Wildcats by a 4-2 score the day before. The Clippers last faced Gray-New Gloucester in the playoffs in last year’s quarterfinals and won, 8-6. Yarmouth beat York, 14-6, in the 2006 preliminary round.

Greely also ended up 13-3 after closing with a 7-4 loss to Cape Elizabeth in a game played at the Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach. The Rangers welcome No. 7 Maranacook (8-8) Thursday at 4 p.m. for the quarterfinals. The teams don’t meet in the regular season. The last playoff encounter came in the 2011 regional final (a 3-0 loss).

“We have accomplished a lot, but as well as we’ve played in stretches, it was disappointing to end with two subpar performances against rivals,” Greely coach Derek Soule said. “Playoffs always feel like a new season. We’ll look forward to the tournament. The way it’s shaping up, we could have a really tough first round game.”

Falmouth finished strong and wound up sixth with a 10-6 mark after downing visiting Wells, 13-2 (in five innings), in the finale. The Yachtsmen ride a four-game winning streak into the quarterfinals Thursday at No. 3 Cape Elizabeth (12-4). Falmouth split with the Capers this year, losing, 5-2, at home May 10 before winning, 8-3, at Cape Elizabeth 10 days later. The lone prior playoff meeting between the schools resulted in a 7-4 Capers’ preliminary round victory in 2002.

Improved Freeport wound up 5-11 after a 5-4 home loss to Traip last Wednesday. The Falcons finished 13th in the Heals, but only nine teams qualified for the Western B playoffs.

In Western C, NYA takes a 12-4 mark and the No. 5 seed to No. 4 Telstar (12-2) for Thursday’s quarterfinals. The teams didn’t play this year and have no playoff history.

Looking ahead, the semifinal round is Saturday, on the field of the higher remaining seed. The Western B Final is Tuesday, June 14 at 3 p.m., at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. The Western C Final is Wednesday, June 15 at 3 p.m., also at St. Joe’s.

Softball

Falmouth hosted Greely in a Western B preliminary round showdown Tuesday (see theforecaster.net for game story). The Yachtsmen lost at home to Wells, 5-3, in their finale to wind up 8-8 and eighth in the region. The Rangers lost at Cape Elizabeth, 5-0, in their final game to finish 9-7 and ninth.

Falmouth and Greely split in the regular season. The Yachtsmen won in Cumberland, 11-5, May 7. The Rangers then outslugged host Falmouth, 11-10 (in eight innings), May 24. The teams had no playoff history entering Tuesday.

The winner advanced to Thursday’s quarterfinals and a date with top-ranked (16-0) Fryeburg, the three-time defending regional champion. The Yachtsmen were blanked at home by the Raiders, 1-0, May 29. The Rangers lost at home to Fryeburg, 11-0, on May 9.

Yarmouth is the No. 2 seed after a superb 14-2 campaign, the second best in program history (after the 2006 squad, which wound up 15-1). The Clippers host No. 7 Wells (11-5) in the quarterfinals Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Yarmouth held off the visiting Warriors, 7-2, way back on April 27. The teams last met in the playoffs in the 2006 quarterfinals (a 5-4 Clippers’ triumph).

Freeport beat visiting Traip in its finale, 11-5, to end up 6-10, but the Falcons were 14th in the final Heals and only nine teams qualified.

NYA went 0-12 this year and finished 18th in Western C.

Looking ahead, the semifinal round is Saturday, on the field of the higher remaining seed. The Western B Final is Tuesday at 3 p.m., at St. Joseph’s College in Standish.

Boys’ lacrosse

Falmouth’s boys’ lacrosse team is the top seed in Western B for the second year in a row. The Yachtsmen rolled at Freeport, 19-3, in the regular season finale, to go 11-1. Falmouth is idle until Saturday when it hosts No. 4 Waynflete (9-3) in the semifinals. The Yachtsmen beat the visiting Flyers, 17-5, at home on April 27. Falmouth dropped both prior playoff meetings, 7-5, in the 2002 divisional quarterfinals and 14-13 in the 2006 quarterfinals.

Greely entered the playoffs on a high note, rallying to beat visiting perennial powerhouse Yarmouth, 13-12, in the teams’ mutual regular season finale. It was the Rangers’ first win over the Clippers since May 13, 2003. Nick Rotondi had four goals, Austin Spencer three and Matt Ricker scored the winner. Nick Robinson won 17-of-26 faceoffs.

“(Yarmouth) led the whole way until the fourth,” said Greely coach Casey Abbott. “It was a fantastic game. Back and forth. The guys had heart and fought for it and came back.”

The Rangers wound up 8-4 and third in Western B and go to No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (10-2), the defending Class B champion Saturday at 3 p.m. in the semifinals. Greely lost at home to the Capers, 14-8, back on May 10. The last playoff meeting resulted in an 11-5 Cape Elizabeth win in the 2008 regional final.

In Eastern B, Yarmouth wound up 6-6 after the loss to Greely, but still earned the No. 2 seed behind undefeated St. Dom’s. The Clippers host No. 3 Gardiner (10-2) or No. 6 Maranacook/Winthrop (7-5) in the semifinals Saturday. Yarmouth has no history with either potential foe.

NYA downed visiting York, 17-2, in its final game to finish 5-7 and fourth. The Panthers hosted No. 5 Morse (7-5) in a quarterfinal round game Wednesday. The teams didn’t meet this year. NYA beat the host Shipbuilders, 15-1, in the 2008 quarterfinals.

If victorious, the Panthers will go to 12-0 St. Dom’s Saturday in the semifinals. The teams didn’t play this year. NYA beat the Saints, 17-2, in the 2002 preliminary round.

Freeport wound up 6-6 and seventh in Eastern B (where only six teams qualify) after a 19-3 home loss to Falmouth last week.

Looking ahead, the regional finals are Wednesday of next week, on the field of the higher remaining seeds. The state championship games are Saturday, June 18, at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.

Girls’ lacrosse

On the girls’ side, the Yarmouth Clippers announced last Wednesday that the road to the Class B title goes through them. Hosting perennial powerhouse and recent nemesis Waynflete on Senior Night, Yarmouth put forth its best effort of a superb season, leading virtually the whole way en route to a commanding 13-8 victory.

The Clippers finished 11-1 (and first in Eastern B) behind four goals from senior Danielle Torres, two goals and five assists from emerging senior star Natalie Salmon and a smothering defensive effort, led by senior Devin Simsarian.

“This has been an incredible season so far,” Torres said. “I’ve had four really great years in lacrosse at Yarmouth. This year is definitely the best. The 12 seniors, it’s such a compact group of leaders. It’s a really unique team and I’m really proud of everyone.”

Yarmouth is idle until Saturday when it hosts No. 4 Morse (8-4) in the semifinals. The teams didn’t play this year. The Clippers beat the Shipbuilders, 17-4, in the 2008 semis.

“We had a tough schedule,” Yarmouth coach Dorothy Holt said. “Going 11-1, I’m really happy and so are they, but now comes what we’re working hard for. We have big games coming up.”

NYA dropped its final four contests, including a 15-5 home decision to Falmouth last Tuesday, to wind up 4-8, but the Panthers are the No. 2 seed in the region. They’ll welcome No.3 Gardiner (8-4) Saturday at 10 a.m. The teams have no history.

Freeport wound up 6-6 and fifth in the region (where only four teams qualify) after a season-ending 13-7 victory at Wells behind four goals from Jess Hench and three from Becca Lane.

In Western B, Falmouth is the No. 2 seed behind Waynflete after going 7-5, culminated by a 15-5 win at NYA. The Yachtsmen have a difficult semifinal round draw Saturday when No. 3 Cape Elizabeth (9-3) pays a visit. Falmouth rallied past the visiting Capers, 11-9, back on May 11. Last year, in the semifinals, the Yachtsmen had to come from behind to beat Cape Elizabeth, 11-10.

Greely made great strides this spring in its first season under new coach Sara Dimick, improving its win total by five from a year ago and winding up 6-6 after a 9-7 loss at Cape Elizabeth last Wednesday. The 6-6 Rangers are the No. 4 seed in Western B and go to No. 1 Waynflete (10-2) in the semifinals Saturday. Greely lost at the Flyers, 22-11, back on May 11 (the Rangers were only down, 8-7, at halftime). The teams have met eight prior times in the postseason, with Waynflete winning on seven occasions. The last encounter was the 2008 regional final (a 16-5 Flyers’ triumph).

Looking ahead, the regional finals are Wednesday of next week, on the field of the higher remaining seeds. The state championship games are Saturday, June 18, at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

Sidebar Elements

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Junior pitcher Mike Leeman and the Greely baseball team are expecting to make a deep playoff run in the days to come.

Senior Natalie Salmon and the Yarmouth girls’ lacrosse team enter the playoffs as the top seed in Eastern Class B. The Clippers hunger for their first championship since 2007.

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