The Central Aroostook softball team has forged into a high ranking in the Eastern Maine Class D standings.
At the halfway mark of the regular season, the Panthers have used an explosive offense to reel off seven victories in their first eight games. CA is currently in third place.
Fort Fairfield is in 10th with its 3-4 record, while Ashland is also 3-4 and one slot behind in 11th. Washburn is now at 1-7 on the season and the win Monday was not recorded in the Heal Point standings at press time but may have moved the Beavers as high as ninth.
The Presque Isle Wildcats have only played five games and are at 3-2 and in 15th place.
A wrap-up of the games played May 10-16 are as follows:
Washburn 29, Limestone-MSSM 21 — The Beavers, which entered the game without a win, knocked off the No. 1 Eagles in Limestone Monday despite managing just four hits in the contest.
Washburn took advantage of pitching wildness by scoring seven runs in the second inning, six in the fourth and nine in the seventh for the biggest rallies of the afternoon.
Lindsey Blackstone and Carmen Bragg both had RBI hits for the Beavers, while Melissa Cantafio and Ashlynn Kelly combined for six hits and five RBIs for the Eagles, which had 14 hits in the game off Washburn pitcher Kristi Sperrey.
Wisdom 12, Fort Fairfield 0 — Abby Player’s second-inning single was the Tigers’ only hit in the shutout loss to the Pioneers Monday.
Wisdom pitcher Ashley Beaulieu struck out 16 batters in six innings of work as her team stayed unbeaten.
Central Aroostook 37, Van Buren 7 — The Panthers banged out 31 hits, led by Vicki McIntyre’s four hits and six RBIs, in the easy win over the Crusaders at home Monday.
Paige Garrison and Kristen Long both had four hits and five RBIs and Michaela King four hits and four RBIs for the winners.
Limestone-MSSM 24, Washburn 7 — A 16-run rally in the top of the seventh inning Friday lifted the Eagles to the win at Washburn.
Karen Page had three hits and two RBIs and Cantafio had two hits and scored twice for the Eagles.
Makayla Ronco had two hits and an RBI for the Beavers.
Wisdom 10, Washburn 6 — The Beavers, playing their first of two games on the afternoon, fell short against the Pioneers Friday. Bragg had two singles to key the Beaver offense.
Ashland 25, Van Buren 5 — The Hornets had little trouble against the Crusaders Friday, thanks mainly to scoring 16 runs in the top of the fifth.
Anna Paradis, Rachel Gillis, Whitney Donovan and Brooke LaBelle had three hits and three RBIs apiece and for the winners.
Ashland 17, Washburn 3 — Alley Beaulier doubled, singled twice and drove in three as the Hornets cruised to the win.
Sperrey had two hits to pace Washburn in the game played Thursday at Ashland.
Limestone-MSSM 21, Ashland 11 — Ashlynn Kelly had two triples and a single, while teammates Amanda Allen and Jordan Hopkins also had three hits each as the Eagles bested the Hornets last Wednesday.
Brooke LaBelle’s two singles and an RBI and Chelsea Hammond’s two singles and an RBI keyed Ashland offense.
Presque Isle 10, Houlton 5 — The Wildcats doubled up on the Shires in Houlton last Wednesday as Courtney Colligan was the winning pitcher and also had two hits and three RBIs to lead the charge.
Shea Brown had three singles and scored twice for PI.
Abby Kinens had a pair of singles for Houlton.
Fort Fairfield 41, Van Buren 15 — The Tigers put 32 runs on the scoreboard in the first inning to win big.
Kelsey Turner hit a two-run homer and doubled twice for Fort Fairfield. Jordann Coiley collected four hits in the victory.
Central Aroostook 11, Southern Aroostook 8 — The Panthers jumped out to an 8-0 lead after two innings and held off a late charge by the Warriors last Tuesday.
Long, Rachael Grew, Page Fletcher and Michaela King had two hits apiece for Central Aroostook. Long was the winning pitcher, going all seven innings and surrendering nine hits.
