Presque Isle squads begin season on the road
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
It’s been a busy schedule early on for the Wildcat baseball and softball teams, who already have played a pair of road doubleheaders and were back in action yesterday with another away game, this one at Houlton.
Contributed photo/Blake Davis-Mount Desert Islander
COREY BELANGER, a senior pitcher for the Presque Isle Wildcats, fires in a pitch during Saturday’s doubleheader in Bar Harbor against the Mount Desert Island Trojans. Presque Isle was swept, losing the first game, 3-0, and the second, 3-2.
Things slow down a bit now for the Presque Isle squads, who do not play again until next Wednesday, May 1, when they make the trip to Fort Kent to take on the Warriors. The teams finally are at home the following Tuesday, May 7, with contests against the Shiretowners beginning at 4 p.m.
The baseball team took a 1-3 record into yesterday’s game after splitting a twinbill against Washington Academy in East Machias last Wednesday. PI took the opener, 7-4, but was edged in the second game of the afternoon, 4-3.
Saul Nunez pitched the Wildcats to the victory as he went all seven innings and struck out seven while walking only one batter. Jonah Stephenson and Kyle Goupille both had a pair of singles for PI, with Tyler Seeley chipping in with a run-scoring double.
Seeley doubled and singled in the game two loss, while Corey Belanger collected a pair of hits.
On Saturday, PI was swept by Mount Desert Island in Bar Harbor by scores of 3-0 and 3-2.
The Wildcats managed just two hits off winning pitcher Steven Hanscom in the first game, with Seeley and Adam Flynn both notching singles.
Nunez had an RBI single in the sixth inning of the second game to tie the score, but MDI took the lead in the bottom of the inning and held on.
“We need to execute better, not leave men on base, cut down on the unearned runs we’re allowing and continue to learn how to compete,” said PI coach Tim Olore following the four games. “We are improving, we now need to start getting on our field and play some home games.”
The Wildcats play nine of their final 10 games on their home field.
The PI girls also have a 1-3 record following Saturday’s split against MDI. The first game resulted in a 10-5 triumph for the ’Cats, while the Trojans came back for a 5-4 game two victory.
The Wildcats, under first-year coach Terry Cummings, were swept by Washington Academy last Wednesday by scores of 9-0 and 3-1.
Presque Isle scored five times in the top of the seventh to break a tie and defeat MDI in Saturday’s opener. Megan Seward had three hits and two RBIs to lead the winning offense. Carly Bell and Kelsey Gilson each had two hits and combined for five RBIs.
The Wildcats batted back from a 5-0 deficit in the second game, scoring four times in the sixth and putting runners on second and third with two outs in the seventh before Liza Buck’s long fly ball was caught in front of the fence to end the game.
In last Wednesday’s first game, a dominating pitching performance was turned in by WA’s Kassidy Seeley, who surrendered only one hit, a Jillian Flynn single, the entire game.
Presque Isle again was held to a single hit by Seeley in game two, which was provided by Seward. PI had the tying runs on base in the top of the seventh, but left them stranded.
Seeley struck out a total of 26 batters in the doubleheader.
Laurin Ackerson turned in a strong pitching performance for PI in the game two loss, scattering nine hits and just the three runs.
“We are showing improvement each and every time out,” Cummings said. “As soon as our bats become more consistent, we have showed that we will be in every game.”
