By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Brittany Gurney vowed that this game would be different.

The Leavitt pitcher knew there was only one way to put the frustration of Tuesday’s loss to Messalonskee in the past. So the Hornet hurler hoped to bounce back in a big way Wednesday against Medomak Valley.

“Last game, I struggled a bit because I came in unprepared,” said Gurney. “I wasn’t able to really warm up at all. I tried to come in with a positive attitude, knowing that we could win this if we played as a team.”

Gurney pitched a two-hitter against the Panthers in a 5-0 win in the regular-season finale at Marcotte Park.

Gurney had come on in relief in an 11-2 loss to the Eagles Tuesday. Messalonskee built a 7-0 lead in the first three innings and pounded out 13 hits against Hornet pitching.

“She was pretty frustrated,” said Leavitt coach Pete Higgins. “We brought her in after two innings. Things weren’t working with our other pitcher. She didn’t get the normal prep that she’s used to. So she was pretty down about that, but she had plenty of prep today. She pitched a good game.”

The Hornets, ranked 12th in the latest Eastern A Heals, had the pitching and defense they needed to keep the Panthers at bay. Gurney only struck out four but walked just one. Steph Healy led the defense at shortstop with six assists and one putout.

“Keeping them off the bases – that’s what they did,” said Higgins. “When they do that, we can play ball.”

Medomak’s biggest threats came in the fourth and sixth. The ninth-ranked Panthers (9-7) had runners at second and third twice. Gurney got a strikeout and a ground out in the fourth. She ended the threat in the sixth, fielding a pair of balls hit back to her.

“That is the big moment,” said Medomak coach Glenn Barbour. “You’ve got two outs. That’s what’s going to happen unless you get a lucky hit. It’s so much better when you can sacrifice or advance with only one out. You can do a lot more with it.”

Leavitt (8-8) took a 1-0 lead in the second. With Jen Knowles on third, Amie Chaisson hit the ball back to pitcher Brittany Barbour with two outs. Instead of getting the out at first, she tried to get Knowles at home and failed.

“That first run was the coaches fault,” said Barbour. “He hollered out, Home,’ and we had two outs and the play was a first. So she turned. That was our fault.”

Leavitt added another in the fifth. Jess Paladino walked and eventually came in on an Emily Page grounder.

The Hornets finished off the win with three runs in the seventh off Allie Ludwig, who had pitched a perfect game against Lewiston earlier in the day. Page doubled home a run and Heidi Swett belted a two-run triple.

“You’ve got to bounce back from losses and take every game as it comes,” said Gurney. “When we came into the game, we were really positive and had a good team atmosphere.”