With a 2-4 start, it was easy for the Livermore Falls softball team to get discouraged, but the undaunted Andies continue to plug away.

“The girls have persevered,” said coach Brent Hammond. “It seems to be a resilient team.”

The Andies have won eight of their last nine games. The only blemish was a one-run loss to Jay that took 16 innings.

“That was definitely a turning point,” said Hammond. “We knew we could compete with anybody.”

The Andies started the year with losses to Telstar, Lisbon, Jay and Georges Valley, but the team kept battling. Now with a 10-5 mark entering today’s regular-season finale, the Andies could match the best record the program has posted in the last 20 years. The Andies were 11-5 and ranked seventh in 1999.

Livermore Falls was ranked fifth in the latest Western C Heal Point standings and could still sneak into fourth. It would be the team’s highest seeding since being 10-6 and fourth in 1990. Livermore Falls hasn’t been to the semifinals since being in Class B in 1983.

“I was expecting a good season,” said Hammond, who coached Leavitt to the state title in 1985. “We were losing three of our seniors, but I was hoping to go 10-6.”

First baseman Sara Hughes is the lone senior on the club. Juniors Cassandra Purington and Danielle Gray have shouldered the pitching load. Valen Richard returned as a junior and has played well at second while junior Krista Allen has been a pleasant surprise, stepping in at third in her first year on varsity. Shortstop Taryn Flagg was an MVC all-rookie team player last year and has shined in the infield while fellow sophomore Erica Gats has done a fine job behind the plate.

“It was the first time I’d seen us play a game with total confidence,” said Hammond. “The girls are coming on strong. We’re starting to play really good defense. It’s been a lot of fun. The girls are starting to understand the kind of softball we want to play.”

MVC championships

Friday’s MVC championships were the topic of a discussion Wednesday night at the coaches meeting. The baseball and softball games featuring the top two teams in the conference are supposed to be played Friday at 7 p.m. at Saint Joseph’s College. That plan is now in question.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” said Sally Boivin, athletic director at Livermore Falls. “It’s just such a hectic time of the year.”

The games were originally planned for Gorham High School, but they weren’t allowed to play on the championship site. Since the Western Maine title games will be held there in June, they relocated to Standish. Saint Joe’s allowed use of the field, but the MVC would have to provide everything else.

“It’s just getting to be sort of a hassle,” said Boivin.

The MVC coaches were going to discuss the games at their meeting Wednesday night and make a determination as to whether to continue with Friday’s plans or not.