AUBURN — Edward Little was 60 feet from walking it off against rival and Class A North foe Lewiston.

Harlee Gasser had different plans.

With just one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Devils sophomore struck out the Red Eddies’ next two batters, sending the scoreless game to extra inning. Lewiston’s bats came alive in a six-run top of the ninth, giving the Blue Devils a 6-0 win over Edward Little in extra innings Monday in a softball regular-season finale. 

“I was just trying to keep my composure,” said Gasser. “I’m in the middle of the field, a lot of the team’s looking to me, and I know I just need to keep my composure and stay calm, because if I’m stressing, everyone else is just going to get the same way. So I just try and be my best for the team. I know my team’s got my back.”

Gasser finished with 13 strikeouts — the seventh time this season she’s surpassed double-digit strikeouts. 

“(Gasser) has nerves of steel,” Lewiston coach Ryan Cormier said. “That kid: composure, no matter the situation that she faces. She doesn’t get rattled, she’s solid on the mound.” 

How it happened

• As they did in the teams’ first matchup of the season on April 29 — which Edward Little won 3-2 — Gasser and Red Eddies pitcher Emily Poulin made Monday’s rivalry showdown a pitching duel. The two pitchers’ command kept both teams off the scoreboard for the first eight innings.

• Lewiston’s ninth-inning explosion started with Maija Raymond’s RBI single and the score snowballed from there. The Blue Devils collected seven of their 13 hits in the ninth, while the Red Eddies could only muster a walk, silencing any hopes of a late rally.

What it means

Both teams will move on to the Class A North playoffs. The Blue Devils are currently two Heal points behind Oxford Hills for the No. 1 seed, while Edward Little has a four-point lead over Skowhegan for third place.

Skowhegan (11-4) plays at Oxford Hills (13-2) on Tuesday.

Heard it here first

• “Now a new season begins. We can’t get ahead of ourselves, we got to keep our composure and then we go one game at a time” — Lewiston coach Ryan Cormier

• “It’s a game, and we’re just going to shake that off. And tomorrow starts a new season and we’re going to take pieces of everything that we’ve done and keep going” — Edward Little coach Elaine Derosby

Statistical leaders

• Lewiston: Harlee Gasser (nine innings pitched, 13 strikeouts), Elsie Cloutier (3 for 5, RBI), Chloe Croteau (1 for 5, two RBI, run)

• Edward Little: Allison Michaud (2 for 4), Emily Poulin (seven strikeouts)