Softball Game Preview: North Yarmouth Academy Panthers vs. Old Orchard Beach Seagulls

North Yarmouth Academy is a perfect 8-0 against Old Orchard Beach since April of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Seagulls at 4:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (North Yarmouth Academy has 11 straight victories, Old Orchard Beach has 17 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

It was a proper cat-fight when North Yarmouth Academy duked it out with Richmond on Monday. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over the Bobcats. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won five matches by eight runs or more so far this season.

Lily Fortin made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one triple.

Jordan Nash

Hits (Career)

05/12/25 vs Richmond	4
04/23/25 vs St. Dominic	3
04/22/25 @ Sacopee Valley	3
06/08/24 vs Carrabec	3
05/13/24 vs St. Dominic	3

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jordan Nash, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Aurora Blier was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two triples, two RBI, and one run.

Buckfield hit Old Orchard Beach with a four-run third inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Seagulls lost 11-1 to the Bucks. That's two games in a row now that the Seagulls have lost by exactly ten runs.

North Yarmouth Academy's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Old Orchard Beach, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-3.

Everything went North Yarmouth Academy's way against Old Orchard Beach in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as North Yarmouth Academy made off with a 13-0 win. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Seagulls have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.