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| Contributed photo/Dave Allen Graphics SEAN SADLER of the Caribou Vikings fires in a pitch during last Wednesday’s game at Presque Isle. Caribou held on for a 10-9 win and played MDI in yesterday’s preliminary playoff game in Bar Harbor. |
Caribou teams also qualify for post-season
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
It was difficult for Limestone-MSSM softball coach Ryan O’Neal to envision his team winning all 15 of its regular season games, especially with its lone senior and starting shortstop, Daniele Pelkey, out with a season-ending injury suffered early in the campaign and now having a lineup that includes five freshmen and two sophomores.
But the Eagles indeed did go 15-0 and therefore earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Maine Class D playoffs. Now that they are in this position and will host the first two rounds of the playoffs, O’Neal likes his team’s chances.
“We talked recently about how important homefield advantage is,” O’Neal said. “I have two assistants and one player (Pelkey) who had to drive all the way to Deer Isle for a semifinal a couple years ago, so they knew how difficult it is to travel long distances and play.”
In their eight home games this season, the Eagles were indeed dominant. Outside of a 17-16 win over Ashland April 25, Limestone-MSSM outscored its opponents by an average margin of 16 runs. In those seven other games, the Eagles outscored their opponents, 137-26, and surrendered more than five runs on only one occasion.
“This team plays so much better at home. We are able to be in a routine, we know how to position ourselves defensively and we know what we can get away with as far as baserunning goes,” O’Neal added. “Plus having last ups means there is always a chance, even when the situation is grim.”
In the quarterfinals Thursday afternoon, the Eagles will play the winner of Tuesday’s prelim matchup between No. 9 Washburn and No. 8 Deer Isle-Stonington at the Albert E. Michaud Park softball field at a time not yet determined at presstime.
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| Contributed photo/Dave Allen Graphics JORDYN DOUCETTE of the Vikings catches the ball and prepares to put a tag on PI baserunner Shea Brown during last Wednesday’s game at PIHS. Brown was ruled out and Caribou won, 8-5. |
With a win, Limestone-MSSM also hosts a semifinal contest Saturday afternoon.
The regional finals will take place at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at Coffin Field in Brewer.
The Eagles lost in the semifinals last season to Penobscot Valley of Howland, who went on to capture the state title. PVHS is in the midst of another strong year as evidenced by its 15-1 record and No. 2 ranking, and again pose the greatest threat to Limestone-MSSM’s chances.
In the wake of Pelkey’s broken arm, suffered during a May 3 game at Fort Kent, O’Neal has had to shuffle his lineup. He now has freshmen starting at first base, second base and shortstop. Two other ninth-graders start in the outfield.
Melissa Cantafio and Kelsee Albert, both juniors, make up a strong pitcher-catcher duo. Cantafio is also one of the top hitters in Eastern Maine and capped the regular season by belting two homers in a 12-2 victory over Hodgdon Thursday. Ellyzabeth Bencivenga, a sophomore who starts at third, is another solid two-way performer.
Several other local softball and baseball teams opened the post-season with preliminary contests played Tuesday.
Fort Fairfield, the No. 5 seed in EM D with a 10-5 record under coach Jamie Selfridge, hosted 12th-ranked Machias Tuesday, with the winner playing No. 4 Katahdin in Sherman Station Thursday.
Washburn, at 6-7, played Deer Isle-Stonington, which entered the game with a 13-3 record.
In Class B, the Caribou Vikings got into the playoffs by defeating Presque Isle last Wednesday, 8-5. Coach Ryan Deprey’s Vikings ended up with a 10-6 record and gained the 13th seed, squaring off against No. 4 Hermon Tuesday. Caribou lost the two regular season meetings against the Hawks, played at home May 11, by scores of 10-4 and 8-1.
The Viking baseball team put together an 11-5 record and played against Mount Desert Island Tuesday afternoon in Bar Harbor in a matchup between the ninth and eighth seeds in the region. The two teams did not meet during the regular season.
Fort Fairfield and Limestone-MSSM are local squads who earned berths into the EM Class D baseball playoffs.
The No. 5 Tigers, at 11-4, hosted No. 12 Jonesport-Beals Tuesday, with the winner moving on to play No. 4 Southern Aroostook in Dyer Brook Thursday in the quarterfinals.
In sixth place and also with an 11-4 mark, coach Glenn Michaud’s Limestone-MSSM Eagles entertained 11th-place Machias Tuesday. The winner will face Wisdom, the third seed, in St. Agatha Thursday afternoon.
