Old Town, Hermon to meet in B North softball semis for fourth straight year

It is uncanny.

For the fourth straight time and the fifth time in seven years, Old Town and Hermon will meet in the Class B North softball semifinals on Saturday.

Old Town, 15-2 and the No. 2 seed, will host Hermon, 16-1 and the third seed, at 4 p.m.

Old Town or Hermon has won the regional title in five of the last seven seasons.

Old Town upset undefeated Hermon 1-0 a year ago en route to the state championship after Hermon had won both regular season games by a combined score of 18-1.

Old Town went on to beat Winslow 2-1 in the regional final and York 6-3 in the state game.

It was Old Town’s only playoff win over the Hawks during the seven-year span.

In 2015, Hermon posted a 9-0 semifinal win over the Coyotes and went on to win the regional title 4-0 over Gardiner before losing to Yarmouth 7-5 in the state final.

In 2014, the Hawks triumphed 6-4 before again topping Gardiner for the Class B North crown 6-1 and capping things off with a 6-0 victory over Wells in the state game.

In 2013, neither team reached the regional final as eventual state champ Oceanside of Rockland/Thomaston ousted Old Town and Gardiner topped Hermon. Oceanside went on to win regional and state championships.

Old Town captured the state title in 2012 and Hermon claimed in in 2010.

Bucksport, now in Class C, was the regional titlist in 2011.

“I don’t know of any other teams that have had to play each other so many times in the playoffs,” said Old Town coach Jenn Plourde. “I think it’s because we usually have similar records during the regular season and we play similar teams. So there isn’t a huge difference in our Heal points.”

This season, Old Town finished with 163.6719 Heal points compared to Hermon’s 159.5313.

“It’s crazy,” said Hermon coach Rob Jenkins. “When you have two good programs, they are just destined to meet.

“We’re kind of like the fighters in the Rocky movies. We can’t wait to get up off our stools (to start the next round). We want to see what the other one is doing all the time,” said Jenkins. “Another great aspect of it is after the next two weeks are over, the girls will be together on the same (summer) team.”

Several play for the Portland-based Maine Thunder and others are teammates at Slugger’s in Brewer.

Hermon will have its graduation on Saturday morning at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor and the girls will all eventually meet at the high school for the quick trip to Old Town.

“I’m happy we’ll be on the road. The girls have always been more focused on the road,” said Jenkins.

The teams split their regular season games with each winning on the road.

Both teams have used two pitchers but neither coach will divulge who will start.

McKenna Smith and Olivia Albert have pitched for Old Town although Smith started both games against the Hawks. Bre Oakes and Katie Windsor have pitched for Hermon and each started against Old Town.

“We’re going to try some different things and I’m sure they’re going to try some different things,” said Jenkins.