Cougars in EM Class D finals

Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Joe Cyr
SLIDING — Katahdin’s Brandon Robinson slides into base, as Southern Aroostook’s Jake Lassonde fields the throw during last Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class D semifinal game in Stacyville.
Katahdin-Southern Aroostook in intense matchup
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    STACYVILLE — A head’s up play by Katahdin catcher Mickey Savage snuffed a late-game rally for Southern Aroostook during Saturday’s Eastern Class D baseball semifinal as the Cougars won a hard-fought 4-3 decision.
    Savage alertly threw out SACS base runner Pat Goodall, who was trying to catch the Katahdin defense off guard by moving from second to third with two away in the top of the seventh inning. In a close play, Savage fired a strike to third baseman Jesse McNally, who slapped the tag to end the game.
    “That was an exciting finish,” Katahdin coach Marty McCarthy said. “These two teams know each other very well. They are very competitive and they are both good teams. It was a fun matchup.”
    “We had a couple of lapses that hurt us today, but we have to remember, these are kids,” said veteran SACS coach Murray Putnam. “It’s all part of the game.”
Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Joe Cyr
DOUBLE PLAY BALL — Katahdin’s Billy Livezey forces out a Southern Aroostook runner and looks to turn a double play last Saturday during the EM Class D semifinals at Stacyville.
    No. 1 Katahdin (13-3 overall) was scheduled to face No. 7 Bangor Christian (10-8) Tuesday evening at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor for the Eastern Class D championship. The two teams split during the regular season. SACS, the fourth seed, ends its season with a 15-2 record.
    The final game was postponed to today at 3 p.m. due to rain.
    In Saturday’s game, Cody Cunningham (3 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts) tossed four strong innings for Katahdin before giving way to Mark “Mook” McGraw (1 hit, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts) in the fifth inning.
    Goodall went the distance for SACS, scattering four runs on seven hits and one walk, with five strikeouts.
    “I think in terms of pitching matchups, we had the young man that we wanted here today,” SA coach Putnam said. “He did a decent job.”
    Coach McCarthy said Cunningham took the mound with a sore elbow.
    “Cody’s elbow has been bothering him, so I asked him to just give me what he could,” the coach said. “We changed things up and went with my shortstop (McGraw) and it worked out pretty well.”
    Billy Livezey led Katahdin with a triple, single and two runs, while McGraw added two singles. Kolby Gallagher, Brandon Robinson and Brady McNally each chipped in with a single.
    Goodall and Cody Robinson each had two singles to lead the Warriors at the plate.
    After holding SA scoreless in the top of the inning, Katahdin struck first, plating a run in the bottom of the frame when Gallagher stroked a 3-2 pitch into right field for a lead-off single. Gallagher stole second and went to third on McGraw’s single. McGraw quickly stole second putting runners at second and third with one away. Cougar Jesse McNally hit a slow roller to third and was tossed out at first, but the speedy Gallagher was able to take home on the play for the 1-0 lead.
Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Joe Cyr
UNDER THE BALL  — Southern Aroostook’s first baseman Joe Frazier gets under a fly ball during last Saturday’s Eastern  Maine Class D semifinal against Katahdin. The Cougars won 4-3 and played yesterday in the EM final.
    Katahdin added another run in the bottom of the second as McNally singled, stole second and scored when Spencer Anderson reached on an error.
    The Warriors evened things up in the top of the third with a two-out rally. SACS took advantage of walks and errors in plating its runs. Boulier drew a walk, moved to second when Trent Cullinan reached on error and went to third on a single by Goodall. Robinson, the Warriors’ clean-up hitter, then stroked a single to center field, scoring both Boulier and Cullinan.
    That rip by Robinson would result in two intentional walks later in the game, as a testament to his batting prowess.
    Katahdin went back up 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning, but SACS came back to even things once again in the top of the fifth inning.
    Knotted at 3-3, Katahdin plated what turned out to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Livezey led off with a triple to right field. He scored on an infield hit by Robinson.
Quarterfinal matchups
    In the quarterfinals, Katahdin rolled over No. 8 Shead (9-8-1 overall) 7-3 June 9, while Southern Aroostook blasted No. 5 Deer Isle-Stonington (9-8 overall) 11-2 on June 10.
Pioneer Times/Gloria Austin
FIELDING — Southern Aroostook’s Pat Goodall fields a grounder during last Friday’s EM Class D quarterfinal against Deer Isle-Stonington.
    Against Shead, Cougar Brandon Robinson tossed 5 1/3 innings, striking out 11 in the process as Katahdin rolled to a 7-3 victory. Robinson also helped his cause with a three-run home run in the fifth inning, breaking a 3-3 tie.
    Other Katahdin hitters on the day were Mark McGraw (3 singles, 2 runs), Billy Livezey (double, 2 runs), Jesse McNally (double), Spencer Anderson (double, run) and Mickey Savage (single).
    For Shead, Thomas Stanhope doubled and singled, while Frank Schath added a single.
    Against DI-S, Southern Aroostook only got five hits, but made them count in the lop-sided win over the Mariners. Jesse Boulier tripled, singled and scored a run to pace the Warriors. Cody Robinson chipped in with an RBI-double, scored a run and stole two bases. Dylan Porter and Anthony Diaferio both added a single and scored a run.
    For DI-S, Joe Condon had a home run in the first inning, while Connor Morey, Haden Ciorrei, Oliver Lawson and Kyle Seile each had one single.
Pioneer Times/Gloria Austin
CONFERENCE — Southern Aroostook coach Murray Putnam meets with pitcher Chris Casey and catcher Cody Robinson on the hill.
    After giving up the solo home run in the top of the first, SACS erupted for eight runs in the home half of the inning, chasing Mariner starter Condon off the mound after just one-third of an inning.