The outdoor track state meet has come and gone and tennis is about to crown its team champions (see stories), leaving the stage for baseball, softball and boys’ and girls’ lacrosse.

Those playoffs promise to be memorable.

Here’s a look at where local teams stand as the postseason commences.

Baseball

Cape Elizabeth’s baseball team earned the top seed in Class B South for the second year in a row after finishing 11-5. The Capers hosted either No. 8 Wells (8-8) or No. 9 Lincoln Academy (6-10) in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Cape Elizabeth split with the Warriors this year, losing 3-2 in Wells May 18 and winning at home, 5-2, 10 days later. The Capers won the only prior playoff meeting, 4-2, in the 1987 Western B quarterfinals. Cape Elizabeth didn’t play Lincoln Academy this year. The Capers are 5-0 all-time versus the Eagles in the postseason, with a 6-2 semifinal round win a year ago the most recent.

A Cape Elizabeth quarterfinal round victory would allow the Capers to host a semifinal Saturday against No. 4 Maranacook (10-6), No. 5 Leavitt (9-7) or No. 12 Spruce Mountain (5-11). The Capers didn’t play any of those potential foes this spring.

In Class A South, Scarborough and South Portland shared a bracket and could be on a semifinal round collision course.

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The Red Riots finished second with a 14-2 mark and hosted either No. 7 Bonny Eagle (11-5) or No. 10 Marshwood (9-7) in the quarterfinals Thursday. South Portland opened with a 3-0 victory at the Scots April 22 and held off the visiting Hawks, 6-4, May 19. The Red Riots had never played Bonny Eagle in the playoffs. South Portland and Marshwood split semifinal meetings the past two years, with the Red Riots falling in 11 innings (3-1) two years ago and holding on for a 9-8 victory last spring.

The Red Storm had a dazzling 13-3 campaign and wound up third in Class A South. Scarborough hosted No. 6 Gorham (11-6) in Thursday’s quarterfinals. On May 21, the Red Storm won at the Rams, 6-2. The teams had played twice previously in the postseason, but both came years ago in Class B: A 7-3 Scarborough victory in the 1986 semifinals and a 10-7 (eight-inning) Gorham triumph in the 1987 semis.

If Scarborough advanced to meet South Portland, it would be a rematch of a game from May 14, which the host Red Riots won, 5-1. The teams split two prior playoff meetings, as Scarborough won the 2009 semifinals (13-6) and South Portland returned the favor in the 2011 quarterfinals (2-1, in eight innings). 

Looking ahead, the Class A South Final is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. The Class B South Final is Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Standish. The Class A state final is Saturday, June 18 at 1 p.m. at St. Joe’s. The Class B state final is Saturday, June 18 at Bangor’s Mansfield Field at 11 a.m. 

Greater Portland Christian School failed to qualify for the playoffs after finishing 0-8 and 11th in Class D South, where eight teams made the cut.

Softball

Scarborough’s softball team entered the playoffs as the top seed in Class A South and the favorite to repeat as the regional champion. The 16-0 Red Storm hosted No. 8 Portland (10-7) in the quarterfinal round Thursday (see theforecaster.net for game story). Scarborough won, 14-2, at the Bulldogs May 10 in a game which gave longtime coach Tom Griffin his 400th victory. The teams split two prior playoff encounters, with Portland taking the 2004 Western A Final, 3-1, and the Red Storm winning, 3-0, in the 2006 quarterfinals.

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If, as expected, Scarborough advanced, it will host No. 4 Thornton Academy (12-4), No. 5 Windham (11-5) or No. 12 South Portland (5-11) in Saturday’s regional final. The Red Storm won at South Portland, 8-0, May 3, beat the visiting Red Riots, 18-1 (in five-innings) May 11, downed the visiting Golden Trojans, 12-0 (in five-innings) May 20 and edged the visiting Eagles, 2-0, May 26. 

South Portland suffered a cruel twist of fate in its preliminary round game Tuesday. The Red Riots appeared en route to an easy win at Windham, riding an eight-run second inning and leading, 11-3, in the fourth, but rain, thunder and lightning forced it to be delayed and eventually wiped out, necessitating a replayed game from scratch Wednesday.

If South Portland advanced, a trip to Thornton Academy 24 hours later would have ensued. The Golden Trojans won the regular season meeting, 11-4, May 9 in Saco. The Red Riots took both prior playoff encounters, 9-0 in the 2009 semifinals and 8-1 in the 2012 semis.

If South Portland and Scarborough square off in the semifinals Saturday, it would mark the teams’ 10th playoff meeting since 2003. The Red Riots have lost six of nine, but won the most recent, a 5-1 decision in the 2012 regional final.

In Class B South, Cape Elizabeth lost its last four games and finished 10-6, good for the No. 5 seed. The Capers were supposed to host No. 12 Morse (7-9) in the preliminary round Tuesday, but rain moved that game to Wednesday. The teams don’t play in the regular season and had no playoff history.

If Cape Elizabeth advanced, it went to No. 4 Oak Hill (14-2) Thursday for the quarterfinals. The teams didn’t play this year. The Capers won four of five previous playoff meetings, including a 7-1 triumph in the 2012 preliminary round, the last encounter.

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If Cape Elizabeth advances to Saturday’s semifinal round, it will likely go to top-ranked York (15-1). The Capers lost, 2-1, in 10 innings, at York back on April 25. Cape Elizabeth is 2-1 all-time against the Wildcats in the playoffs with a 16-4 (five-inning) romp in the 2004 preliminary round the most recent.

Looking ahead, the Class A South Final is Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. The Class B South Final is Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at St. Joe’s. The Class A state final is Saturday, June 18 in Standish at 4 p.m. The Class B state game is the same day and the same time at Brewer High School. 

Boys’ lacrosse

Cape Elizabeth’s three-time defending state champion Class B boys’ lacrosse team finished 12-0 and is the top seed in Class B South for the fourth year in a row. The Capers earned a bye into Saturday’s semifinal round and will host either No. 4 Waynflete (8-4) or No. 5 Fryeburg Academy (7-5). Cape Elizabeth opened with an 18-8 home win over the Flyers April 14 and didn’t face the Raiders this spring. The Capers are 7-0 all-time versus Waynflete in the playoffs with a 17-4 semifinal round victory in 2013 the most recent. Cape Elizabeth and Fryeburg Academy have no playoff history.

In Class A South, Scarborough finished first after going 9-3 and also earned a bye into Saturday’s semifinals, where it will host either No. 4 Thornton Academy (8-4) or No. 5 South Portland (7-5). The Red Storm beat the visiting Red Riots, 13-10, April 22 and outlasted the visiting Golden Trojans, 14-11, May 3. 

Scarborough is 4-0 all-time in the playoffs versus South Portland, with a 10-4 triumph in the 2010 semifinals the most recent. The Red Storm are 3-2 in playoff games against the Golden Trojans, but Thornton Academy has won the past two: 13-4 in the 2014 semifinals and 11-8 in last year’s semifinal round.

South Portland, the two-time defending regional champion, finished fifth after a 7-5 campaign. On May 17, the Red Riots lost, 11-5, at home to Thornton Academy. Entering play Wednesday, South Portland was 5-0 all-time in the playoffs against the Golden Trojans, including last year’s 12-4 regional final triumph.

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Looking ahead, the regional finals are Wednesday of next week, on the fields of the higher seeds. The Class A and B state finals are Saturday, June 18 at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Girls’ lacrosse

South Portland’s girls’ lacrosse team finished 7-5 and fifth in Class A South and had a quarterfinal round test at No. 4 Gorham (7-5) Wednesday. On April 28, the Rams won, 9-5, in South Portland. The teams had no playoff history.

If the Red Riots sprung the upset and reached the semifinals for the first time ever, they would go to No. 1 Marshwood (12-1), the defending Class A champions, Saturday. South Portland opened with a 15-3 loss at the Hawks April 14. The teams have no playoff history.

Scarborough wound up 4-8 and seventh in Class A South and went to No. 7 Massabesic (11-1) for the quarterfinals Wednesday. The Red Storm lost, 10-3, at home to the Mustangs May 16. Scarborough is 2-1 all-time in the playoffs against Massabesic, including a 10-4 semifinal round triumph a year ago.

If the Red Storm sprung an upset, they’d go to No. 3 Thornton Academy (9-3) or No. 6 Biddeford (8-4) for the semifinals Saturday. Scarborough held off the visiting Tigers, 11-9, in the opener April 19 and lost, 12-5, at the Golden Trojans May 12. The Red Storm has never faced Biddeford in the playoffs. They are 2-1 all-time against Thornton Academy, but lost the last meeting, 11-6, in the 2014 semifinals.

Looking ahead, the regional finals are Wednesday of next week, on the fields of the higher seeds. The Class A state final is Saturday, June 18 at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

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Cape Elizabeth finished 3-9 and seventh in Class B South, where just six teams made the cut, after falling, 8-7, at home to Greely in the finale last Wednesday. The Rangers scored twice in the final minute to pull it out. The Capers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

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

Sidebar Elements


Scarborough and South Portland’s baseball teams could be on a semifinal round collision course.

The regular season was a time of celebration for Cape Elizabeth’s undefeated boys’ lacrosse team. Now, the Capers turn their attention to winning a fourth straight Class B state title.


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