Gorham softball holds on to dethrone Windham in A South quarterfinal

[ **Our Communities. Our Teams. Our Future. **We’re proud to make high school sports coverage free for everyone, because these moments matter. At Maine State Credit Union, we’re here for the people and places that make Maine strong. Let’s go! Learn more at **[mainestatecu.org](http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=7274124606&iu=/6119)**.   Players watch from the Windham dugout during a Class A South quarterfinal against Gorham on Friday in Gorham. Windham lost, 6-3. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F06%5C%2F43639603_20260612_Gorham-Windham-Soft_5.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Players%20watch%20from%20the%20Windham%20dugout%20during%20a%20Class%20A%20South%20quarterfinal%20against%20Gorham%20on%20Friday%20in%20Gorham.%20Windham%20lost%2C%206-3.%20%28Daryn%20Slover%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) View 8 photos GORHAM — His team was up four runs with only three outs to go, but Gorham softball coach Jason Dubail knew it was a good time for a reset. Windham had just put the leadoff batter on, its dangerous top of the lineup was up next, and Dubail called all fielders in for a meeting in the pitcher’s circle. The message? Stay calm. “We knew that we could make the plays, we knew we could get out of it,” senior shortstop Sawyer VonderHaar said. “He was saying this girl isn’t the tying run, the next girl isn’t, the next girl isn’t. We have every opportunity to make these three outs and go win it.” The fourth-seeded Rams made their final escape a winning one, surviving a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the seventh en route to defeat No. 5 Windham, 6-3, in a Class A South quarterfinal, ending the Eagles’ reign as state champions. Gorham, which will play No. 1 Cheverus in the semifinals, improved to 14-3. Windham finished 11-6. Advertisement “The seniors aren’t ready to be done with softball,” said Dubail, whose team led 6-1 after two innings. “We have six seniors on this team, and they just weren’t ready to be done.” One of those seniors, pitcher Bella McBrady, struck out six while collecting two hits and driving in two runs. “We’ve been working so hard for this,” she said. “It’s our last year, and we kind of just put everything into this game.” Tense finish The defending champions didn’t give up their crown easily. Abhilasha Jain led off the seventh with a single, Addie Caiazzo (who finished the year batting .642) doubled to left center, and Yani Kostopoulos (.556, 11 home runs) walked to load the bases. That brought up Oakley McLeod (.380), but McBrady knew she couldn’t panic. “I was just trying to keep it not in the center of the plate, and trying to get them to hit it to people, so we could get those outs,” she said. “Just staying calm.” Advertisement It worked. First, she got McLeod to pop to second, Nola Bryant hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Jain, and Evelyn Anderson flew out to right. “I mean, who isn’t?” VonderHaar answered when asked if she was nervous. “But I think we all did a great job of composing ourselves (and) Bella made great pitches.” Coming up empty • For Windham, the seventh was an example of both the team-wide resilience that coach Darcey Gardiner said the Eagles built all season, and a maddening trend during Friday’s game: they had runners on base in six of seven innings but left eight on base. “That really hurt us. Seven walks in the first two innings, leaving eight base runners on,” Gardiner said. “But then settling down in innings three through seven, it was nice to see the fight.” • Before the seventh, Windham’s best chance at a big inning came in the fourth, when Lacie Higgins singled and moved to third on a groundout and a bunt. Caiazzo followed with a drive to deep center, but Terra Rioux made a catch on a full sprint to end the inning. “That catch might have won the game,” Dubail said. “I think (she’s) one of the best center fielders in the state.” Advertisement Early offense • Windham took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Caiazzo tripled and McLeod brought her in with a groundout, but Gorham quickly answered. VonderHaar walked and scored on McBrady’s infield single, Abigail Buckelew (walk) and McBrady scored on wild pitches, and Rioux (walk) scored on Audrey Arsenault’s groundout. • In the second, VonderHaar walked and scored on an error following a passed ball, and Buckelew walked and came in on a McBrady double. Windham got its second run when Caiazzo doubled in the third and scored on a Bryant single. Statistical leaders • Windham: Addie Caiazzo (triple, two doubles, two runs), Nola Bryant (double, single), Lacie Higgins (two singles, RBI), Abhilasha Jain (single, run), Oakley McLeod (RBI) • Gorham: Bella McBrady (seven innings, six strikeouts; single, double, two RBI), Sawyer VonderHaar (single, two runs), Abigail Buckelew (two runs), Audrey Arsenault (single, RBI) Copy the Story Link Tagged: [gorham rams](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/gorham-rams/), [windham eagles](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/windham-eagles/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-bonifant) [Drew BonifantStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-bonifant) Drew Bonifant covers sports for the Press Herald, with beats in high school football, basketball and baseball. He was previously part of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel sports team. A New Hampshire. [More by Drew Bonifant](https://www.pressherald.com/author/drew-bonifant)