Coach Dean Libbey said one of the keys to senior pitcher Courtney McIntyre’s exceptional season for the Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln softball team is that she has five pitches she can rely on compared with the three she used last season.
McIntyre corrected her coach.
“I’ve got six pitches. I just added a screwball,” said McIntyre (10-1), who also throws a rise, drop, curve, fastball and changeup.
“She has struck out a couple of girls with her screwball,” said sophomore catcher Emma Page.
With the exception of a 5-4 loss to Central of Corinth, McIntyre has held teams to one run or less. She credits pitching guru Bob Mercer of Bucksport for a lot of her success.
Twice, three Mercer proteges have pitched their respective teams to state softball championships on the same day, the last time in 2012.
“I have been going to him [on Sundays] for seven years,” said McIntyre, who said what has added to the sessions is that she has been accompanied by Page.
“Working two hours together every Sunday has enabled us to get used to each other,” said McIntyre. “It has made things so much easier.”
Page also has worked with Mercer on her defense.
“If I throw a pitch [in the dirt], I know she’s going to block it. She has my back. She’s doing an amazing job for a sophomore. Her head is always focused on the job,” said McIntyre.
The pair also think about every pitch, adapting their approach based on the type of hitter McIntyre is facing. Having a pitching assortment is key.
“Courtney is a strong girl to begin with, and she is mixing up her pitches much better this year,” said Libbey. “She seems to be in the zone every game. She doesn’t have one go-to pitch, she throws them all very well.”
Libbey said McIntyre also has excellent composure. She has been backed by strong defense and ample run support. Mattanawcook has scored 12 or more runs in nine of its 12 games and eight in two others.
“We seem to be able to generate runs whenever we want to,” said Libbey, who also has been pleased with his team’s defense.
McIntyre is one of the team’s leading hitters, according to Libbey.
“She has three or four homers, and when she gets on base, the rest of the team follows suit,” said Libbey.
Emma Page, senior right fielder Kendra Thurlow and senior first baseman Lauren Page, Emma Page’s sister, have been among the other offensive catalysts.
“One through nine all put the ball in play. We’ve had very few strikeouts this year,” said Libbey.
The other starters are junior second baseman Cheyanne Libby, freshman shortstop Kimberlee Voisine, freshman left fielder Haley McLaughlin, junior center fielder Camryn Lyons and either senior Mercedes Tash or junior Laci Hanington platooning at third.
McIntyre, the Page sisters, Thurlow, Libby and Lyons are returning starters off last year’s 11-5 team, which was ousted in the Eastern Maine Class C quarterfinals by Washington Academy of East Machias.
The Lynx are looking for a deeper run in the playoffs this year.
“We’ll be ready [for the playoffs],” said McIntyre, who will attend Husson University in Bangor next fall. “We’re all doing well this year. We’re clicking. We work well together as a team.”