Spring season in full force, teams challenged

The Houlton Shiretowners split a pair of games on Monday with visiting Fort Kent, but pulled out a dramatic win last Friday in a point-worthy match up against Presque Isle at home.
    On Monday, the Shiretowners took the opening game of the doubleheader, 11-0 behind sophomore Porter Gervais’ right arm. He hurled a two-hitter, striking out nine and walking none over six innings of shut out ball.
Hunter Caron and Ryan Hill supplied the offense, as Caron doubled twice to drive in two runs and Hill collected a pair of singles and drove in three runs.
In the nightcap, Fort Kent edged the Shires, 6-5.
The Warriors led 4-3 to start the game, but Houlton knotted the game in the bottom of the second. In the fourth, Fort Kent had built a 6-4 lead en route to the win.
Caron belted a two-run homer in the first inning and Levi Prosser had two singles to poke in a run.
Last Friday, the Shiretowners pulled out a 5-4 dramatic win in the bottom of the seventh over visiting Presque Isle.
Landon York delivered a two-out sacrifice fly in the final inning to bring in the winning run.
Ben Austin hit three singles and knocked in three runs for the winners, as well.
Last Thursday, the Shires outhit visiting Hodgdon, 13-1 to pick up a 15-2 victory.
Houlton’s Hill keyed the offense with a pair of singles and a triple to drive in a run, while Gervais doubled and singled for a pair of RBIs. Josh Harvey added a pair of singles and brought in a run for the winners.
For Hodgdon, Ryan Wellington doubled and drove in two runs.
In girls’ action, the Lady Shires picked up four straight wins.
In Monday’s doubleheader, Houlton’s Nikki Eastman threw a no-hitter after allowing a Fort Kent leadoff single. She shut down the Warriors, 12-0, allowing no runs, while striking out nine and walking a pair.
Eastman helped her own cause offensively by hitting a triple and double to bring in four runs, while Lainey Herring singled twice to drive in a run.
In the second game, Houlton won handily, 22-1.
Herring belted a three-run homer, while Erika Lackey singled twice and had two RBIs. Chelsi Murray tripled and singled to drive in three runs, while Vanessa Sanderson had three singles and an RBI for the winners.
Against Presque Isle last Friday, Courtney Putnam and Murray had two-run singles in a decisive second inning, as Houlton defeated their visitors, 13-3.
Lackey tripled and singled twice to plate a run, while Herring doubled and singled to tally an RBI. Eastman and Murray each collected a pair of singles and a pair of RBIs. Casey Faulkingham had two singles to drive in a run for the winners.
Last Thursday, the Lady Shires shut out visiting Hodgdon, 15-0 behind five innings of no-hit pitching from Eastman, Herring and Sanderson.
Eastman had the hot bat, hitting four singles and bringing in six runs; Herring tripled, singled twice and drove in three runs; Sanderson doubled and singled twice for three RBIs and Murray rapped a two-run homer.
In other baseball action, the Southern Aroostook Warriors split on the week with a win over Hodgdon and a loss to Limestone.
Against Limestone on Monday, the Eagles jumped to a 5-1 lead in the first and extending their advantage in the fourth to 9-2 en route to an 11-5 victory.
For the Warriors, Dakota Sleeper and Dillion Boulier doubled and singled.
Last Wednesday, the Warriors shut out Hodgdon, 13-0 behind Tyler Robinson’s five-inning no-hitter.
Robinson struck out seven, and was backed offensively by Sleeper’s three singles and two RBIs. Cody Robinson and Andy Sholler each singled twice and drove in a run for the Warriors.
The Lady Warriors lost a heartbreaker on Monday to the visiting Limestone Eagles, 11-10.
Limestone’s Melanie Allen tagged a grand slam to spark a six-run seventh inning to overtake Southern Aroostook. The Lady Warriors had led 6-5 in the fifth.
Liz Goodall and Brittany Charette each had two singles in the game, while Shelby Hartin tripled and knocked in three runs.
Last Thursday, the Lady Warriors were defeated by Katahdin, 13-6.
Leading the Lady Cougars were Melissa Duffy with four bunt singles; Kayla Stevens doubled, singled and had five RBIs and Lacy Pelletier doubled and singled.
For the Lady Warriors, Kim Grant hit a triple, double and single, while Sarah Crandall doubled and singled.
The Lady Warriors picked up a 15-8 win over Central Aroostook last Wednesday.
The game was knotted at 7-all in the third before SACS scored two runs and then outscored CAHS 6-1 the rest of the way.
Grant singled twice and tripled for SACS, while Bre Bubar and Goodall each hit a triple and single.
On Monday, the East Grand teams both lost to Machias.
In the girls’ game, the Bulldogs overpowered the Lady Vikes, 29-4. Chelsea Norris singled and drove in three runs for East Grand.
On the baseball diamond, East Grand lost 12-1. Matt Steeves doubled for the Vikes.
The Greater Houlton Christian Academy Lady Eagles suffered two losses last week to Hodgdon and Limestone.
On Saturday, Limestone soared by GHCA, 35-13 after putting together back-to-back 14-run innings in the first and second innings.
Kiki Smart and Emily Little each singled twice for GHCA. Smart also picked up two RBIs.
Last Wednesday, the Lady Eagles were defeated by Hodgdon, 17-5.
Samantha Lycette doubled and singled and scored twice for the Lady Hawks, while Haley Quint picked up a pair of singles and scored two runs.
For GHCA, Hannah Hiscoe and Megan Carroll each singled.
GHCA led 2-0 in the top of the second inning before Hodgdon answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Leading 6-2, Hodgdon added nine runs in the fourth en route to the win.