Sports Reporter
The end of the baseball regular season is just two weeks away, and many of the local teams have some work to do to move into playoff positions.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
Sal Viola of the Washburn Beavers gets a late tag down on Ashland’s Lucas Hafford during Thursday’s varsity baseball game in Washburn. The Hornets were victorious, 12-1.
On the outside looking in in Class D are 12th-place Fort Fairfield (3-5, 6.381), 14th-place Limestone-MSSM (2-7, 3.75) and 17th-place Washburn (1-10). The top nine teams will reach the playoffs.
For Class B, Presque Isle and Caribou squared off last night for the first time, and although the Vikings have posted a solid record, they need to keep winning to gain a tourney slot.
Caribou, winners of five in a row entering last night’s game, is 5-2 and in 15th place with 17.9688 points. Waterville leads the division at 10-1 and 69.7266 points. Only the 10 teams qualify for the post-season.
The following are summaries of games played through Monday, May 17:
Wisdom 16, Fort Fairfield 5 – At Fort Fairfield Monday, the host Tigers held a 5-1 lead before Wisdom put 14 runs on the board in the top of the sixth inning to gain the win.
Landon Keizer had a double and a single and Tyler Churchill contributed an RBI single for the Tigers.
Washburn 19, Limestone-MSSM 13 – The Beavers broke into the victory column for the first time this season Monday at home, outslugging the Eagles.
Chris Farley had four singles, scored four runs and drove in two runs to pace Washburn’s 15-hit attack. Nick Bragg drove in three runs on a pair of singles and also scored three runs, while Justin Howe had two hits and drove in three.
Nate Berube had two doubles and Dylan Morgan homered for Limestone-MSSM.
Caribou 8, Hermon 6 – At Hermon, the Vikings took game one of the doubleheader despite committing seven errors in the contest.
Caribou rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth inning after the score was knotted after regulation. With nine batters coming to the plate, Ethan McDuffie’s two-run single keyed the uprising. Anderson, McDuffie, Walker, Stephen St. Peter and Adam Chartier had two hits apiece in the game for Caribou.
Caribou 4, Hermon 3 – In game two, McDuffie tripled with one out in the fifth and scored on Walker’s sacrifice fly to provide the difference.
The Hawks opened the game with a three-run rally in the first, but Caribou answered with three in the fourth, with Lance LaMothe coming through with a two-run triple as the key blow. Chapman was the winning pitcher for Caribou.
“The outfielders tracked five or six fly balls that could have been big had they dropped in,” said Caribou coach Jimmie Thibodeau, “so that was key.”
He also said the bottom of the order has been producing, led by players like LaMothe, Chartier, Evan Susee and St. Peter.
“When we get everyone hitting at the same time, we’ll be tough,” he said. “But the whole team has been scrappy, we’re getting good pitching and the team is playing really well right now.”
Limestone-MSSM 16, Washburn 6 – On Friday in Limestone, Aaron St. Pierre and Nate Tucker limited the Beavers to six hits as the Eagles prevailed.
St. Pierre had three hits, while Ty Tracy, Nick Whitehead and Morgan also had three hits apiece for the Eagles.
Farley and Bragg posted two hits each for the Beavers.
Ashland 12, Washburn 1 – The Hornets eased past Washburn Thursday behind Jordan Beaulier, who not only was the winning pitcher but also led the offense with four singles and two RBIs and two runs scored.
Amos Ward had three singles for the winners, while Sal Viola recorded two of the five hits for the Beavers.
Fort Fairfield 10, Van Buren 3 – The Tigers defeated Van Buren Thursday as Keizer had three hits and two RBIs and Josh Churchill and Josh Dillon both had two hits.
Central Aroostook 6, Washburn 1 – Last Wednesday in Mars Hill, the Beavers were held without a hit by the pitching duo of Brendan York and Dan Brewer.
Logan McLaughlin had two hits and scored twice for the Panthers, while Garrett Stiles had two singles and an RBI and York added a triple. Sal Viola, Farley and Tony Viola combined on the pitching duties for Washburn.
Limestone-MSSM 19, Ashland 9 – At Limestone last Wednesday, Austin Dow Smith knocked in four runs with two singles and a double to lead the Eagles.
Lucas Hafford had a double and a single to pace Ashland.
Caribou 13, Fort Kent 2 – The Vikings scored early and often and the pitching combination of Royce Landeen, Caleb Chapman and Ted Walker allowed just three hits in Caribou’s win.
Chapman homered and Cam Anderson drove in four runs on a pair of hits to lead the Vikes at the plate.
Madawaska 12, Limestone-MSSM 6 – At Madawaska last Tuesday, the Owls doubled up on the Eagles behind a 17-hit attack.
Morgan had a three-run home run and Whitehead singled three times for Limestone-MSSM.
Hodgdon 10, Fort Fairfield 2 – The Hawks won as Chris Wallace blanked the visiting Tigers over the final four innings. Austin Bixler had two doubles and a single for the Tigers.
