By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – When Waterville came out and smacked a couple of hits Friday afternoon to take the early lead, the Lewiston softball team may have been caught a little offguard.

It didn’t take long for the Blue Devils to rectify the situation.

Lewiston responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning and kept the bats humming in a 9-3 win over the Purple Panthers.

“I was nervous at first,” said Lewiston pitcher Amanda Michaud. “They jumped right on it. I could tell right away that they weren’t going to be a pushover team. After playing them last year, I thought we’d be able to breeze right by this game.”

Despite the early deficit, Waterville needed a few more runs to answer the production of Lewiston’s bats. The Blue Devils pounded out 14 hits. Jess Nadeau and Allie Morin each had three while Michaud, Kim Bechard and Maria Labbe each had a pair.

“We have strong hitters,” said Nadeau.

Waterville put Lewiston in the early hole. After a leadoff hit and a walk, Carol-Ann Gatz doubled home a run to put the Panthers ahead. Michaud managed to escape the threat with a strikeout and a pop up.

Lewiston stormed into the lead with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the first. After Morin singled, Ali Coleman tripled her home. Bechard walked and Nadeau followed with a two-run single.

“That was big for our team,” said Nadeau. “I think that’s what got us going. We built off that the rest of the game.”

Lewiston didn’t just show some pop with the bats but some aggressiveness and execution on the bases. The Blue Devils put runners on and put the pressure on the Waterville defense.

“I was pleased with the baserunning and the execution of some nice hit-and-runs and some nice contact plays,” said Lewiston coach Fred Royer.

In the third inning, Lewiston (1-0) scored six runs on six hits and two Waterville errors. Bechard scored on an errant throw at third following a Nadeau single. That throw hit Panther starter Krystle Trafton in the knee, knocking her out of the game. She was replaced by Sarah Swan, but she couldn’t quiet the Lewiston bats. Labbe followed with a run-scoring single. Michaud doubled in a pair, and Morin singled her home. Morin later scored on an error on a Coleman grounder.

“Knowing you have the hitters behind you like that helps a lot,” said Michaud. “To know your offense can get the job done is a relief.”

Waterville (0-2) threatened in the fourth. Michaud walked two and gave up three hits. Bethany Karter-O’Brien doubled in one run and scored on a Shannon Burns walk with the bases loaded.

“It was nice to see Jess Nadeau come through with three nice hits and a solid pitching performance by Amanda,” said Royer. “We’re trying to gel the newcomers with the veterans, and I was really pleased with the team effort today.”