Cougars suffer first loss
The Katahdin Cougars were knocked from the unbeaten ranks on Saturday, as the Deer Isle-Stonington Mariners took the first game of a doubleheader, 5-4.
In the opener, Katahdin jumped to a 1-0 lead, but it was short lived as the Mariners overtook them in the third and fourth innings for a 5-1 advantage. The Cougars rallied with a run in the fifth and then knocked in two more in the sixth, but that was all they could muster as Eben Powers came on in relief of starter Evan Rollins to end the threat.
The Cougars again threatened to tie the score in the seventh, as Andy Kay and Ethan Qualey each reached base on singles. With runners on second and third with an out, Powers struck out the next batter and on Powers’ second strikeout, Kay was attempting to steal home.
In the second game, it was all Katahdin, winning 13-0, behind six-run first and second innings to break the game open, with their final run coming in the third.
In the first inning, the Mariners committed three errors and walked three, and Qualey’s two-run single capped off the scoring. In the second, the Cougars’ Josh and Mark McGraw each had run-scoring singles, along with Richard Qualey’s two-run single. Kay pounded out an inside-the-park home run to score the only run in the third. Kay finished the game with a single and scored three times for Katahdin, while Mickey Savage doubled for the winners.
Warriors pick up three wins
Last Friday, the Southern Aroostook Warriors overtook Washburn, 10-3 behind freshman Pat Goodall, who fired a two-hitter, striking out 13 and backing his own cause doubling twice, singling and knocking in a run. Dillion Boulier had two singles and brought in two runs, while Darrin Flewelling doubled and singled to drive in a run.
Last Thursday, the Warriors topped Fort Fairfield, 17-7, but the game was closer than the score indicates, as after three innings, the Warriors led 4-3. But, the Warriors rallied in the bottom of the fourth for nine runs to extend their lead before the Tigers came back with four runs in the top of the fifth.
SACS’ Flewelling collected four singles and knocked in five runs, while Cody Robinson delivered a pinch-hit solo home run and added a run-scoring single for the Warriors. Goodall doubled and singled twice for the winners.
On Wednesday, the Warriors picked up a 13-1 win over East Grand in Dyer Brook.
Tyler Robinson singled twice and doubled to drive in three runs and Travis Smith doubled and singled to bring in another two runs, while Boulier hit a two-run double for the Warriors.
Aaron Henn doubled and singled for the Vikings.
Shiretowners look to break even; Hodgdon overpowers Vikings
The Houlton Shiretowners are 6-5 and according to coach Shawn Graham, they are in a position for a playoff spot.
The Shires still have point-worthy games against Caribou, two with Stearns, Madawaska and Fort Kent. “Our goal right now is to finish somewhere around .500 and hope for a home playoff game,” Graham added. “We’ve certainly have had our ups and downs, which was somewhat expected considering our lack of varsity experience and youth. I think we surprised a lot of people winning five out of six after dropping our opener.”
Graham’s troops are bit roughed up with the scheduling of games, as a few injuries have arisen and some minor arm soreness to his pitchers.
“The timing wasn’t good, as we have been faced with a very busy week with games every day Monday through Friday,” he said. “We had dropped three in a row before last Thursday night to Hodgdon.”
The Shiretowners expectations were on the rise until of late.
“The kids played very well defensively and our pitching was solid,” explained Graham. “However, we’ve taken a step backward this past week struggling to field the ball cleanly and not getting consistent pitching.”
At Houlton, the Shiretowners fell to Stearns, 11-1. Houlton’s Porter Gervais had a run-scoring single and Levi Prosser doubled.
Last Thursday, the Shiretowners defeated visiting Hodgdon, 14-4 in five innings under the lights at Community Park.
Prosser doubled, singled and had three RBIs, while Ian Gervais singled twice and brought in two runs.
For Hodgdon, Jamie Ryan and Ryan Wellington each had run-scoring singles.
“We had a great effort from freshman Jordan Brown, who threw three innings of no hit, shutout ball in his first varsity game as a pitcher,” said Graham. “He came in to pitch in the third inning at a time when our pitching staff had been depleted from having to play four straight games. He did a tremendous job for us.”
The Shiretowners lost to visiting Madawaska 9-5 last Wednesday.
The score was tied after the first, 2-2 before Houlton went ahead by a run in the bottom of the third. The Owls answered with three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth en route to the win.
Josh Harvey tripled and singled with two RBIsm while Pat Longstaff doubled, singled and knocked in two runs for Houlton.
The Shires were on the end of an 11-6 loss to visiting Calais last Wednesday.
Harvey led Houlton with two singles and drove in a run , while Longstaff rapped an RBI double.
Last Thursday, the Hodgdon Hawks overpowered visiting East Grand 15-5.
Tom Brewer’s two-run single and Travis Quint’s RBI single keyed a four-run third inning rally that snapped a 3-3 tie. Zach McCarty tripled and doubled and drove in two runs and Quint added a double and also knocked in a pair of runs. Ryan Wellington doubled and singled and drove in a run for Hodgdon.
Kaleb Dicker had a run-scoring double and Aaron Henn singled for East Grand’s only hits.
Eagles sweep, fall in doubleheaders
The Greater Houlton Christian Academy fell to Shead in a doubleheader last Friday, 18-1 and 10-0.
In the opener, Ryan Campbell, Mackenzie Burns and Zach Straubel all had singles for the Eagles, who faced three Tiger pitchers over five innings.
In the second game, Shead’s Tom Pottle fired a one-hitter over five innings, striking out seven and walking one. Campbell’s infield single was the only Eagle hit.
Last Wednesday in Hodgdon, the Greater Houlton Christian Academy Eagles overpowered the Hawks, 21-5 behind four singles from Chad Duff. Duff also drove in two runs and stole five bases. Zach Straubel added a double, a single and three RBIs for the winners.
Ryan Wellington had two home runs to bring in four runs for Hodgdon.
Last Tuesday, the Eagles swept host East Grand in a doubleheader by identical 13-3 scores over five innings.
In the opener, Burns roped a double and three singles to drive in three runs, while Campbell added a double and two singles to bring in three runs for the Eagles. Straubel, who drove in a run, and Duff each had a pair of singles to back winning pitcher Jeff Campbell, who spread out eight hits.
For East Grand, Dicker, Henn, David Cropley and Matt Steeves all singled twice.
In the second contest, Isaiah Straubel fired a two-hitter and backed his own cause with three singles and two RBIs. His brother Zach doubled and singled twice to plate two runs and Ethan Brady collected three singles for the winners.
For the Vikes, Cropley tripled.
Lady Shires edge Stearns
On the girls’ side, Houlton edged Stearns in eight innings, 10-9 last Friday, as Nikki Eastman scored the game-winner from first base on Lainey Herring’s triple.
Taylor Bailey hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the seventh inning, while Chelsea Murray hit a three-run homer in the first. Bailey, Herring and Vanessa Sanderson all added two singles.
Last Thursday under the lights at Community Park, the host Lady Shires overpowered Hodgdon, 14-2.
Houlton’s Bailey drove in two runs with a triple in a five-inning victory and Murray singled twice for Houlton.
For Hodgdon, Haley Quint doubled to drive in a run and Sam Lycette singled.
The Lady Shires knocked Madawaska from the unbeaten ranks last Wednesday, winning 24-5, as Herring poked a grand slam highlighting a 13-run third inning. She also tripled, singled and racked up six RBIs. Murray tripled, doubled, singled and drove in four runs.
The Lady Shires were overtaken 8-5 by visiting Calais last Wednesday. The Blue Devils built an 8-0 lead before Houlton cracked the scoreboard in the sixth with three runs and two more in the seventh.
Erika Lackey singled and hit a seventh-inning two-run home, while Murray added three singles and drove in two runs for Houlton.
Lady Warriors rolling — eight game win streak
The Southern Aroostook Lady Warriors picked up a lopsided, 14-2 win over Washburn in Dyer Brook last Friday to complete an eight-game winning streak.
Brittany Charette hurled a two-hitter over five innings, while twin sisters Jasmine and Janel Rockwell had three hits and an RBI apiece. Jasmine Rockwell also had a homer and two singles, while Janel hit three singles. Liz Goodall tripled and singled and drove in a run.
Last Wednesday, Southern Aroostook’s Shelby Hartin stroked a three-run double in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Lady Warriors to a 15-12 victory over host Fort Fairfield.
Janel Rockwell and Olivia Raymond each hit three singles and L. Goodall tripled and doubled to back winning pitcher Brittany Charette.
Katahdin, Hodgdon, GHCA play
At Stacyville, Amy Grant’s three singles and five RBIs lifted Katahdin over Greater Houlton Christian Academy, 23-13. Myah Smallwood singled four times and Lacey Pelletier added two doubles and two singles for Katahdin.
For the Lady Eagles, Kiki Smart and Kasi Parker each doubled and singled.
Last Thursday, the Hodgdon Lady Hawks overtook East Grand, 16-4 in Hodgdon.
Dayna Tidd hit a two-run home run in the first inning, while Taylor Hovey tripled, singled twice and drove in two runs for Hodgdon. Whitney Wallace rapped four singles.
East Grand’s Shaunna Beaudoin and Liz Gilman each had run-scoring doubles.
Last Wednesday in Hodgdon, the Lady Hawks overtook GHCA, 21-8.
Hodgdon’s Tidd had two doubles, two singles, a two-run homer in the first, and four RBIs while leading a 21-hit attack by the Lady Hawks. Hovey roped three doubles, a single for six RBIs for the winners.
Megan Carroll doubled, singled and drove in a run for GHCA.
