HOULTON, Maine — For the first time in three years, a new softball champion was crowned in the Houlton Little League.
Timely hitting, solid fielding and superb pitching carried Hogan Tire to an impressive 31-12 victory over Katahdin Valley Health Center.
The KVHC squad was two-time defending champs.
Annessa Wilde twirled a gem as she scattered 11 hits and three walks, with seven strikeouts. Wilde struck out the final three batters in the bottom of the sixth inning to seal the victory for Hogan Tire.
Jillian Haggerty and Abbie Worthley shared pitching duties for KVHC. The two combined to yield 18 hits and 11 walks, with one strikeout.
Members of the Hogan Tire squad include Molly Schneider, Rebecca Howe, Wilde, Sydney Lorom, Grace Derosier, Jamie Brown, Elizabeth Phillips, Brooke Shrout, Olivia Henderson, Amelia Ivey and Olivia Carr. The coaches are Brian Howe, Billy Phillips and Barry Lorom.
Members of the KVHC squad include Angelina Jones, Jackie Green, Worthley, Haggerty, Kennedy Buzzeo, Morgan Barrows, Allie Winship, Martha Wilson, Maddie Bean, Haley Grant and Taylor Benn. The coaches are Jon Worthley and Bruce Haggerty.
Leading the hit parade for Hogan Tire were Schneider (home run, triple, 3 singles), Howe (2 singles), Wilde (single), Lorom (2 singles), Derosier (single), Phillips (2 singles), Shrout (double) and Carr (4 singles).
Pacing KVHC were Jones (double, single), Green (2 singles), Haggerty (triple, single), Buzzeo (2 singles), Barrows (double, single) and Winship (single).
Hogan Tire struck quickly, plating four runs in the top of the first inning, but KVHC got one run back in the bottom of the frame.
In the top of the second, Hogan Tire erupted for 16 runs in a rally that lasted for nearly 45 minutes.
Hogan Tire combined patience at the plate with walks, aggressive base running to steal second and sometimes third, and some well-placed hits to break open the game.
KVHC got five of those runs back in the bottom of the second, but never fully recovered.
