Panthers, Tigers hold high seeds
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
Most varsity baseball teams in Eastern Maine have either reached or are approaching the midway point of the regular season, so the Heal Point standings are beginning to take shape.
Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr
COLLISION COURSE — Wildcat catcher Isaac Lajoie, back, prepares to slap the tag on Houlton’s Tanner Caron, who was trying to score from second on a hit to the outfield during Wednesday’s game. Lajoie made the tag and held on to the ball for the out, but Presque Isle lost 3-2.
Only two weeks remain before the standings become finalized and the post-season begins, and right now only the Central Aroostook and Fort Fairfield Tigers appear playoff bound.
The Panthers, last year’s Eastern Maine champions, hold a 6-2 record following Monday’s 25-1 thrashing of Van Buren. They are currently in fourth place in the EM Class D standings behind Southern Aroostook, Bangor Christian and Katahdin.
Fort Fairfield is 4-3 and in seventh place in the rankings. Coach John Ala’s Tigers are coming off a 9-7 loss to Wisdom in St. Agatha Monday.
In the 17-team Class D division, Washburn is 1-10 and in 16th place and Ashland is 0-7 and in last.
In Class B, which has 19 teams and 10 reaching the post-season, Presque Isle is currently 15th at 2-3.
The Wildcats have five make-up games on their schedule and enter a six-game week highlighted by doubleheaders at home both Friday (against Old Town) and Saturday (against John Bapst).
Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr
CLEAN FIELDING — Presque Isle’s Saul Nunez fields a grounder while playing third base during last Wednesday’s game played in Houlton. The Wildcats lost the game, 3-2. PI has a busy week as the team is scheduled for six games in a four-day stretch.
Summaries of several of the games played May 10-16 are as follows:
Central Aroostook 25, Van Buren 1 — Panther pitchers Dan Brewer and Logan McLaughlin combined on a no-hitter over five innings of work and CA scored 14 third-inning runs to defeat Van Buren at home Monday.
McLaughlin had two hits and two RBIs and both Darrin Murray and Ross Grass added two-run singles to pace CA at the plate.
Wisdom 9, Fort Fairfield 7 — Wisdom broke a 3-3 tie by tallying five runs in the bottom of the fourth as the Pioneers ran their record to 5-0 with the win on Monday.
Curtis Picard pitched the first three innings and helped his cause with a three-run home run. Justin Albert added a two-run shot.
Austin Bernier had three hits and drove in a pair of runs to lead Fort Fairfield, while teammate Austin Bixler had two hits and scored two runs.
Van Buren 16, Ashland 12 — The Hornets fell a bit short in their bid for their first victory of the season Friday as the host Crusaders plated four runs in the fourth to take the lead for good.
It was the first victory of the season for Van Buren.
A. J. Edgecomb had four hits and scored five runs for the winners, while Robbie Lavertu had all four of Ashland’s hits and he scored four times.
Central Aroostook 11, GHCA 1 — McLaughlin’s two-run homer, coupled with a run-scoring double, powered CA to the victory in the five-inning contest.
Dan Brewer had three hits and Brendan York fanned 10 batters in four innings of work to garner the pitching victory.
Limestone-MSSM 21, Washburn 3 — The Eagles won big behind the offensive output of Arron St. Pierre, who had three hits, including a grand slam homer, and totaled six RBIs.
Nick Whitehead homered and joined teammates Zach Cote and Charlie McDonald in collecting three hits on the day.
Andrew McLaughlin had an RBI single for the Beavers.
Washburn 16, Ashland 7 — Both teams entered Thursday’s game looking for their first victory, and it was the Beavers prevailing behind the hitting of Sean Sperrey (three hits, four runs scored) and the pitching of Kyle McLaughlin (13 strikeouts in the complete-game effort).
Andrew McLaughlin and Anthony Viola both had two hits for the Beavers.
Tyler Chasse had two doubles and drove in two runs and Lavertu and Amos Ward also had two hits each for the Hornets.
Fort Fairfield 7, Van Buren 6 — The Tigers pulled off the dramatic home win last Wednesday as Travis Noyes tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run homer and then scored the winning run in the ninth on a passed ball after tripling earlier in the inning.
Bernier had three hits, while Logan Craig and Nate Guimond added two hits each for the Tigers.
Limestone-MSSM 8, Ashland 1 — Chris Bernier and Henry Schuth combined on a three-hitter and Tristan Kirk had four hits and four RBIs as the Eagles prevailed at Ashland last Wednesday.
Zack Porter, Nick Porter and Royce MacDonald all singled for the Hornets.
Central Aroostook 15, Washburn 1 — The Panthers put seven runs on the board in the first inning and rallied for six more in the sixth to gain the win on the Beavers’ home field last Wednesday.
Mike McClung and Dylan Murray had two hits each for CA.
Starting pitcher Nick Bragg had a run-scoring single to lead Washburn.
Southern Aroostook 16, Central Aroostook 0 — The Panthers were blanked and limited to one hit by SA pitcher Chris Casey in the five-inning home loss last Tuesday.
Brewer had the only Central Aroostook hit. The Panthers committed nine errors in the contest.
