A Houlton 11-12-year-old team captured the first-ever Caribou State Farm Little League Tournament over the weekend.
Playing for the team were Houlton 11-12-year-old All-stars Nick Perfitt, Nolan Porter, Andrew Tuttle, Tyler Bailey, Will Austin, Cameron Callnan, Keegan Gentle, Nick Brewer, Ben Grant and Jason Collett, with the addition of Zach Cowperthwaite — who was on this team a year ago before moving to Bangor — and his friend, Noah Missbrenner.
Houlton defeated Presque Isle, 2-1, in the first game behind the strong pitching of Perfitt and Bailey. Gentle had an RBI single scoring Austin in the first inning. Brewer added an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 2-0.
After Presque Isle scored an unearned run in the top of the sixth, Bailey struck out three straight batters to earn the save. Perfitt and Bailey combined on a one-hitter.
In the second game, Houlton blanked Fort Kent, 9-0.
Perfitt and Cowperthwaite both hit home runs in the second inning leading the eight-run uprising to stake Houlton to the 9-0 lead.
Callnan added three singles, Collett, Tuttle and Cowperthwaite had two hits apiece. Collett, Cowperthwaite, Porter and Noah Missbrenner combined to pitch the shutout.
On Sunday, Houlton pounded Maine Sluggers, 21-2, to advance to the championship game. Austin, Tuttle, Cowperthwaite and Perfitt had two hits apiece. Gentle stroked two singles and a double to pace the hit parade.
Cowperthwaite and Porter combined to pitch and shut down the Sluggers.
In the championship game, Houlton squared off against Caribou and was able to win a thrilling walk-off extra-inning game by a score of 4-3 in seven innings.
The game was a pitchers’ duel between Houlton’s Missbrenner and Caribou’s Camden Huck. Neither team could break through on the scoreboard, with both teams playing sparkling defense through the first 3 1/2 innings.
In the bottom of the fourth, after Cowperthwaite reached on an error and a Perfitt walk, Missbrenner hit an RBI double. Austin followed with a walk to load the bases. Perfitt then scored on a passed ball to give Houlton the 2-0 lead.
Caribou came back with one run in the top of the fifth scored on an error after consecutive singles by Alex Bouchard and Austin Findlen.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cowperthwaite banged a double and scored on two passed balls to give Houlton the 3-1 lead. Houlton was one strike away from winning in the top of the sixth, when Alex Bouchard hit a two-run single to tie the score.
Houlton went quietly in the bottom of the sixth, but held Caribou in the top of the seventh to set up the dramatic finish.
Tuttle led off with a bloop double. After one out, Gentle drilled a fastball to the fence in right-center to plate the walk-off RBI-triple and give Houlton the exciting 4-3 win.
Missbrenner went the distance on the mound throwing all seven innings, accumulating only 76 pitches in the contest and earning the win.
The defense behind Missbrenner played exceptional, making the plays to keep the free-swinging Caribou team off the bases. It was an outstanding team win.
Editor’s note: Game information provided by Coach Joe Porter.
