By Rick Wright

Staff Writer

Five years ago, Ralph Aceto was just a fan watching the South Portland softball team play its first Class A state title game and lose to Messalonskee. 

Fast forward to last Saturday: Aceto once again watched the Red Riots play for a championship, this time as South Portland’s second-year softball coach.

This time the result was far different. Aceto saw his team win its first championship 1-0 over Bangor at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish.

“It’s absolutely awesome. It still hasn’t quite sunk in yet but I’m holding the trophy here. It’s fabulous. This is what we worked for,” Aceto said. “It’s a great group of young ladies. I couldn’t be happier for them.”

Katlin Norton drove in the game’s only run with a line-drive double to left center in the bottom of the sixth inning. Danica Gleason, who had reached base on an error, scored all the way from first on Norton’s hit.

 “I just knew that was the time,” said Norton, 17, about her game-winning clutch hit. “That was the place and we needed to get it done.”

Bangor pitcher Samantha Bedore made the mistake of throwing Norton’s favorite pitch to her favorite location – a fastball up in the zone and down the middle.

With the count in her favor at 2-0, Norton expected to get a good pitch to hit and she made Bedore pay for the mistake.

“I just knew that was the pitch that was going to get it done,” said the junior right fielder. “I was just looking for a ball to hit.”

Gleason, a 15-year-old freshman shortstop, said she wasn’t going to try to score on the play until she saw the ball get past Bangor’s left fielder.

“I thought she was going to catch it at first so I kind of hesitated. And then as I saw it go by her I just kept running,” Gleason said. 

As she approached third base, Gleason saw Aceto waving her home from the coach’s box. She expected a close play at the plate but she ended up scoring easily.

“Ralph (Aceto) didn’t tell me to stop so I just kept going. I just ran as fast as I ever have. I saw the catcher kind of back away so I knew I was safe,” Gleason said.

Aceto said he gambled on sending Gleason home because he sensed her run could be the game winner and because she had the speed to make it.

“I wasn’t going to stop her. One run was going to win this thing and sometimes you have to take chances to get that run. I’ve got one of my best base runners on in Danica Gleason. I know she can run. So let’s give it a shot and try to score,” Aceto said.

For South Portland pitcher  Alexis Bogdanovich, one run was enough. The right-hander limited the Rams to three hits while striking out 14.

“The one run lead gave me a lot of confidence to keep going and know that I could do it,” said Bogdanovich, 17. “I just knew that we had to keep getting them out.”

Bogdanovich punctuated the win with an assist on the game’s last out. With the tying run on second base, Bogdanovich charged toward home plate, scooped up a bunt and fired a strike to first baseman Olivia Whitton to seal the victory.

“I was just telling myself this batter is not getting on base. I needed to hustle to that ball and get her out. I was throwing that ball as fast as I could,” Bogdanovich said.

Aceto said he liked the way Bogdanovich performed on the mound. 

“She was lights out today. She’s got another gear and she brought it today. When she comes and brings her A game like that, she’s the best pitcher in the state,” he said. 

Bogdanovich, a junior, dominated Bangor’s lineup by alternating between overpowering fastballs and deceptive change-ups. She also had good command of her pitches, moving them around the strike zone with excellent control.

“I was hitting my spots and my change-up was actually working better than it has been. They’re an aggressive team and a really good team. I knew it was going to come down to one inning,” Bogdanovich said.

She was supported by a South Portland defense that committed no errors in the game.

Whitton, a senior, was very happy to be a part of South Portland’s first softball championship team. She said it was a great way to end her high school softball career.

“It’s unbelievable. I’m really happy to be on the team that did it. I couldn’t ask for a better way to go out. I’m really excited,” Whitton said.

The Red Riots finished the season with a 19-1 record while Bangor ended the year with 18 wins and two losses.

 Rick Wright can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 237 or news@inthesentry.com.