Presque Isle Wildcats sweep home contests vs. Caribou

    PRESQUE ISLE – The traditional rivals and lone Class B programs in Aroostook County squared off for the first time on the diamond on a beautiful evening last Tuesday, with one game not decided until the final inning and the other much earlier than that. 

    In both contests, it was the home team Wildcats coming out on top. Presque Isle won the softball game, 5-4, while also prevailing in baseball, 15-5, in a game shortened to five innings due to the 10-run rule.
    The two teams won’t wait very long before renewing their rivalry. They meet again in Caribou next Wednesday, June 2 in games that will also serve as regular season finales for all four squads.
    The softball game was tight throughout. Caribou jumped out to the 2-0 lead by scoring single runs in both the first and second innings. Ashley Doucette’s two-out RBI double scored her sister Jordyn from third base to open the scoring, while Rebecca McDougal doubled with one out and came across on a wild pitch for the second run.
    PI took advantage of lead-off walks offered by Caribou pitcher Emily Staples in both the second and fourth innings and turned both into runs to tie the game. Krista Coffin of the Wildcats walked to begin the second and her courtesy runner, Kailey Shaw, scored on a wild pitch, while she did the same in the fourth and scored on a clutch two-out hit off the bat of Amy Grivois.
    The Vikes were able to regain the lead in the top of the fifth after Jordyn Doucette reached on a one-out single and scored on Sare Damboise’s RBI single. Jamie Martin, who had walked prior to Damboise’s plate appearance, was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice bunt attempt by Ashley Doucette later in the inning which turned out to be a big play for the Wildcat defense.
    Trailing 4-3, the Wildcats were ignited in the bottom of the seventh inning by Chandler Guerrette’s leadoff single. She stole second, was sacrificed to third and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.
    “She is a tremendous threat once she gets on base,” said PI coach Alan Curtis. “She is an excellent baserunner, processes the situations quickly and with her speed scores a lot of runs.”
    Coffin then drew her third walk of the game, and Shaw again replaced her and advanced to second and third on wild pitches. Kelsey Park, who walked twice and struck out her first three trips to the plate, made contact on a 1-2 pitch with one out and grounded to the first baseman McDougal, who couldn’t handle it cleanly, allowing Shaw to score the game-winner.
    “We felt comfortable with her at the plate,” Curtis said. “She’s a senior and knew she just needed to make contact.”
    “I had been fouling a few pitches off and just was looking to drive the ball to the right side,” Park said. “It was a home game and it was against Caribou, so it’s a great feeling.”
    Caribou coach Ryan Deprey said he felt the game came down to experience.
    “We are so young and we got tight and nervous,” Deprey said. “I give Presque Isle credit, they have one of the best pitcher-catcher combinations in Eastern Maine (Coffin and Kayla Richards) and they were able to get multiple runners on base in five of the seven innings.”
    In the baseball game, Presque Isle retired the Vikes 1-2-3 in the top of the first and then quickly went to work on the offensive end. The Wildcats put seven runs on the board in their half of the inning, capped by Isaac LaJoie’s three-run homer, en route to the easy triumph.
    PI took advantage of a pair of errors and two bases on balls during the rally. Matt Chasse and Amos Dean had RBI hits before LaJoie, who was batting in the ninth spot in the order, drove a pitch by Caribou starter Nathaniel Kamm over the left field fence with two teammates on base.
    “The first inning was huge for us because it settled our defense down and it gave (starting pitcher) Dillon Kingsbury room to work on the mound,” said Wildcat coach Tim Olore.
    Kingsbury was very effective. The senior retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, with Lance LaMothe’s solo homer in the second the only blemish over the first 3-2/3 innings.
    Caribou did rally in the top of the fourth as Walker homered, Stephen St. Peter reached on a walk, LaMothe singled and Evan Susee and Adam Chartier both reached on errors as four runs came across.
    However, that cut the margin to just eight runs (13-5), and PI closed out the win with single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.
    “Dillon is a competitor,” Olore added. “He wants to succeed in pressure situations and he did that.”
    Presque Isle had 10 hits in the game, with LaJoie collecting a team-high three to go along with five RBIs.
    Zac Campbell had two hits and two RBIs and Dean finished with two hits as the bottom three hitters in the starting lineup combined to for seven hits in eight at bats.

    Brennen Shaw homered and singled for Presque Isle.

Staff photos/Kevin Sjoberg

    LITTLE GUY, BIG HIT – Isaac LaJoie of the Presque Isle Wildcats, foreground center, heads back to the dugout with a throng of teammates, including, from left, Amos Dean, Ethan Braley, Brennen Shaw and Keenan Eaton, after LaJoie had hit a first-inning home run during last Tuesday’s game against Caribou. LaJoie finished with three hits and five RBIs in his team’s 15-5 victory.

    KELSEY PARK of the Presque Isle Wildcats shares a laugh with first base coach Brian Cronin during Saturday’s doubleheader against Mount Desert Island. Park drove in the winning run last Tuesday against Caribou.

    FIRING IT IN – Dillon Kingsbury of the Presque Isle Wildcats gets ready to pitch the ball to a Caribou batter during Tuesday’s game at PIHS. The Wildcats used a big first inning and the pitching of Kingsbury to defeat the Vikings, 15-5.

    TAKING A RIP – Chandler Guerrette of the Presque Isle Wildcats looks to make contact on this pitch during last Tuesday’s game against Caribou. Guerrette helped PI to a 5-4 victory.