BETHEL — All signs pointed to Friday’s Mountain Valley Conference softball clash between Telstar and Dirigo being full of offensive fire power.

It, of course, turned out to be pitcher’s duel instead. 

Telstar pitcher Olivia York silenced Dirigo’s bats, tossing a complete-game four- hitting and striking out nine in the Rebels’ 5-1 victory. York retired 17 of the final 19 batters she faced. 

“I’ve been thinking about it all day,” York said. “In the past, Dirigo has beat us in the important games, so it feels good to finally come back in the past couple years. It’s always been when we play Dirigo that they manage to pull through and we managed it today.” 

Both Telstar and Dirigo have showcased their offensive prowess throughout the season. The Rebels entered Friday’s contest having plated 108 runs over nine games, including 32 against St. Dominic Academy and 19 against Boothbay on Wednesday. 

The Cougars scored 110 runs over the same number of games. They tallied 30 runs against Winthrop leading into their contest with Telstar. 

None of that mattered as both teams struggled to put runners on base against York and Dirigo pitcher Katelyn Olsen. The Cougars (7-3) had just four batters reach base, while the Rebels managed seven. 

The difference, ultimately, came down to fielding. Telstar (8-2) scored four of its runs thanks in part to three Dirigo errors. 

But it was a Telstar error that gave Dirigo an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Ellen Wainwright roped an 0-2 pitch to center field for a triple, before being gifted home plate on an overthrow to third base that went out of play. Wainwright was the lone Cougar to touch second base. 

The Rebels responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning without collecting a hit. Two errors helped the cause. The first came on a sacrifice bunt by York when the throw to first went over the head of Wainwright. That allowed Hayley Peterson, who led off the inning with a walk, to move from first to third. She would score on a passed ball. 

The second error of the inning allowed York to score from second. Olsen caught Bri Vitale’s sacrifice bunt and tried to double off York at second, but instead threw the ball into the outfield, letting York touch home. 

“With all the teams in the Mountain Valley Conference, it’s really who’s going to make the least amount of errors on any given day and that wasn’t us today,” Dirigo coach Sara Thurston. “Telstar’s a great team and we didn’t bring our best game and that’s what made a big difference.”

The two runs were more than enough run support for York. After Wainwright’s triple, York retired the next 13 batters in order, striking out five. Emma Lueders snapped York’s streak with a one-out single in the sixth. 

“She’s done well all year for me,” Telstar coach Jim Lunney said. “She doesn’t walk many. She throws strikes. She tries to move the ball up and down. I’m more than pleased with what she’s done for us. She’s only a junior. This is her first year pitching varsity. She’s done her job this year.” 

York said falling behind early didn’t faze her. 

“It’s something you have to put behind you mentally or else you’re just not going to finish the game,” York said. 

Her teammates gave her a couple more runs of support in the sixth. A second sacrifice bunt by York plated Becca Howard and allowed Tehya Johnson to score from second on Telstar’s third fielding error of the game. York was thrown out at second after reaching first on the overthrow to first. 

After their error in the second, the Rebels played clean in the field the rest of the way.

“Our fielding was solid,” Lunney said. “I kept saying ‘Girls, we know we have a good defense. We just have to keep it solid.’ Their defense broke down on a couple bunts and that’s the difference in the game. It could be a 1-1 game and we could still be playing right now.” 

Olsen went the distance for the Cougars in the circle, scattering four hits, striking out six and walking one. 

Wainwright finished 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. She was the only member of either team with multiple hits. 

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