Mapleton Little League opener a pitchers’ duel
The Mapleton Little League season kicked off Monday, June 19, with Buck Construction and Doyen’s Farm battling in a pitchers’ duel. Thomas Patenaude (15 strikeouts) of Buck Construction and Jaren Winger (15 strikeouts) for Doyen’s Farm each had no-hitters heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.
Buck Construction threatened in the fourth after the bases were loaded with one out via walks, but Winger bore down and struck out the following two batters to end the threat.
Jonah Hudson broke up Patenaude’s no-hit bid in the fifth, but was stranded at third base. Jake Kinney and Ian Michaud worked their way on base in the top of the sixth for Buck Construction, both coming around to score the first runs of the game. Doyen’s Farm would not go softly into that good night however. Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Mike Perkins and Justin Edwards-Robidou both reached base, setting the table for Torey Levesque, who sent a mighty blast to the outfield, then blazed around the base paths for a game-winning inside-the-park home run.
The next night’s action was just as thrilling, as Buck Farms and Fox Family Chips decided six innings weren’t enough for their matchup. After trading goose eggs in the scoring column for the first three innings, Buck Farms was finally able to break through in the bottom of the fourth. Erick Tompkins led off with a single, stole second, and came around to score on a throwing error later in the inning.
Fox Family Chips came back in the top of the sixth as Griffen Guerrette singled, stole second and third, and came in on a Savannah Rodriguez RBI hit. RJ Gross followed up with a hit, giving Fox Family Chips runners on second and third with one out, but Buck Farms pitcher Dakota Morrow extinguished the rally by striking out the next two batters to survive the scare.
Fox Family wasn’t done with the bats though, as they pushed across five runs in the eighth inning to pick up the 6-1 win. Scoring in that last inning were Guerrette, Rodriguez, Gross, Colby Buckley and TJ Lovely, while Colin Daigle drove in the final run of the game. Guerrette and Gross also combined for pitching duties, allowing just the Tompkins hit and totaling 19 strikeouts.
Morrow and Ricky Goupille pitched well in defeat for Buck Farms, striking out 18 in their efforts.
Buck Farms jumped out to the early lead against Doyen’s Farm last Wednesday, but Doyen’s came roaring back for the victory in the end. Buck Farms pushed three runs across in the first inning, including a towering two-run home run off the bat of Tompkins. Goupille also singled and came around to score in the inning. Doyen’s got two runs back in the second inning courtesy of Zack Fletcher and Jessie Boucher, but a fine defensive play at first base by Goupille thwarted the Doyen’s rally.
The Doyen’s offense found its stride over the third and fourth innings, as Hudson’s double powered a 15-run outburst over the two frames. Scoring runs were Levesque, Connor DeMerchant, Winger, Hudson, Fletcher, Boucher, Trombley, Edwards-Robidou and Perkins.
Morrow singled and came around to score for Buck Farms off a Tompkins double to round out their scoring.
Fox Family Chips and Buck Construction clashed Thursday to wrap up week one action. The game was nip and tuck the whole way, as the two teams traded blows like two heavyweight boxers. Michaud’s two run single in the first drove in Adam Paterson and Kinney to stake Buck Construction to the early 2-0 lead.
Fox Family Chips got one back in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI triple off the bat of Gross, driving in Guerette.
Patenaude, Paterson, Kinney and Emily Wheaton all crossed the plate in the third as Buck Construction increased its lead to 6-1, but Fox Family used extra base hits by Guerette and Gross, along with a run by Buckley, to cut the lead to two heading into the fourth.
Conner Michaud got the ball rolling in the fourth for Buck Construction, getting on base to start the inning. He would come across to score on a Paterson single. Buck Construction extended the lead in the fifth when Wheaton scored on a bases-loaded walk.
This seemed to awaken the Fox Family Chips team, as they stormed back for three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Buckley, Guerrette, and Gross each crossed the plate one more time, with Max Bartley chipping in with an RBI single.
Patenaude and Paterson gave Buck Construction a little breathing room in the top of the sixth, as both recorded hits and runs for the 10-7 lead. These runs proved to be much-needed insurance as Fox Family Chips mounted a furious comeback in the bottom of the sixth. Buckley worked a walk to lead off the inning, then came home as Guerrette followed by smashing a triple in the gap. Guerrette came around to score on a Gross groundout, but that’s as close as Fox Family would get on this night as the game ended 10-9 in favor of Buck Construction.
