GORHAM – It wasn’t exactly the plan, but it worked even better.

The circumstances called for a bunt, but after Shelli McComish missed two attempts, a debate took place between her and Noble coach Rick Melanson. The junior shortstop won out, and so did her Knights.

McComish drilled a triple to left center in the sixth inning to score the only run in a 1-0 win over Scarborough in the Western Class A softball final.

“He told me to bunt,” said McComish. “He’s like ‘You’ve got to bunt, but if you foul it, you’re out.’ I was like, ‘You want me to bunt?’ He said, ‘If you want to swing go ahead.’ So I did. When I got to third, he said, ‘Good thing I didn’t make you bunt.'”

After four straight years of losing in the semifinals, the Knights made good on their first shot at a regional crown.

“I look back at all the other teams we had before,” said pitcher Lindsay Tibbetts. “They had big power hitters. Last year and the year before, when my sister (Lindsay) played. This team, we don’t have a lot of power hitters, but we can all hit really well.”

It was no surprise that the top-ranked Knights (16-3) and third ranked Scarborough (15-4) would engage in such a nailbiter.

“Coming in I was saying it would be 2-1 or 1-0,” said Melanson. “I knew it was going to be a close game. Pitching and defense is what got us here, and we live for another day.”

Tibbetts was matched against the Red Storm’s Jen Williams. Tibbetts allowed just two hits, both in the first two innings. Williams gave up three hits, two of which came in the decisive sixth.

“My riseball was working really well,” said Tibbetts. “My fastball was working good. Everything pretty much was working good.”

With both defenses playing error-free, it made it difficult for either squad to create any offense. That all changed in the sixth when No. 9 hitter Brenna O’Reilly, who has been an offensive spark for the Knights in the playoffs, led off with a single.

That set the stage for McComish. The obvious play was to bunt and move O’Reilly over, but she fouled off the first two attempts. Melanson was determined to have her try again, until she talked him out of it.

McComish found the gap, and O’Reilly raced to the plate from first for the game-winner.

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Though McComish was stranded at third, Noble had all it needed. Tibbetts put down the Red Storm in three straight, striking out Williams to end the ballgame.