The playoffs for high school baseball are just around the corner and teams have few games left to adjust their standings.
Preliminaries will be played on Tuesday, June 4, followed by the quarterfinals on Thursday, June 6 and semifinals, Saturday, June 8. The games will be hosted by the higher-seeded team.
The Eastern Maine regionals will be played on June 11-12 and the state games on Saturday, June 15.
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
CONTACT — Houlton Shiretowner Ryan Dee reaches out to make contact on the ball during a recent game against Hodgdon.
The Houlton Shiretowners are sitting on the bubble at 11th in Class C with a 2-5 record, trailing Stearns, Bucksport, Dexter, Mattanawcook Academy, Calais, Orono, George Stevens Academy, Searsport, Narraguagus and Lee Academy.
The Shires are scheduled to play in Caribou today; in Hodgdon on Friday and Saturday, they will host a doubleheader with Fort Kent. On Monday, May 25, the Shires host Stearns and finish their season next Wednesday, May 29 in Lincoln.
In Class D baseball, all the local teams are positioned within the top 12 qualifying teams. First place belongs to Wisdom, followed by Bangor Christian, Southern Aroostook, Hodgdon, Fort Fairfield, Limestone/MSSM, Woodland, Shead, Katahdin, Machias, Deer Isle-Stonington and Jonesport-Beals.
Hodgdon’s remaining schedule includes: Friday at home to Houlton, 4 p.m.; Tuesday, May 28 in Dyer Brook against the Warriors at 4 p.m. and May 29 at Washburn.
The SACS Warriors will be in Woodland on Friday for a 4 p.m. game and finish their season with Hodgdon at home on Tuesday, May 28.
The Cougars finish their season on the road with games against Bangor Christian on Saturday and Penobscot Valley on Tuesday, May 28.
In last week’s action, the Houlton Shiretowners shut out visiting Hodgdon on Wednesday, 14-0, as Isaiah Straubel scattered three hits and struck out eight.
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
FOUL — Hodgdon catcher Josh Hudson watches as a Houlton batter fouls off a pitch during last week’s game.
Cousins Ryan Dee and Gage Hunt, along with Blake Woods led Houlton offensively with two hits apiece.
Katahdin 7, Deer Isle Stonington 8 — In the second game on Saturday, the Cougars came up short, as the game was tied 4-all in the third before the Mariners had a four-run third for an 8-4 lead. Katahdin battled back with two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth, which wasn’t quite enough.
Billy Livezey homered and singled, driving in two, while Shey Lane and Jordan Russell each doubled.
Katahdin 2, Deer-Isle Stonington 4 — In the opener, the Mariners led 3-2 into the seventh to take the win.
Deer Isle’s Connor Morey struck out 10 as he picked up the win.
Livezey collected two hits and an RBI in the loss.
Katahdin 6, SACS 11 — Last Thursday in Dyer Brook, the Warriors used 11 unearned runs to take the win.
The Cougars held a 3-1 lead after three before SACS tied it in the fourth. SACS took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, 6-4, but Katahdin tied the game in the top of the sixth. However, the Warriors answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame and two more to end the game.
The Warriors’ Dylan Porter singled twice to back Trent Cullinan, who struck out 12.
Shey Lane tripled and singled twice, while Matt Birmingham stroked a double and two singles and Spencer Anderson had two base hits for Katahdin.
In Southern Aroostook’s doubleheader against Fort Kent last Tuesday, the southern Warriors picked up a 3-2 victory in the first game and a 9-1 win in the second game. No information was available for these games.
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
SAFE —Houlton’s Gage Hunt slides safely into second base, as Nick Mazzaco of the Hodgdon Hawks goes airborne in an attempt to snag the overthrown baseball during last Wednesday’s game at Community Park in Houlton. The Shires won 14-0.
