Caribou teams had a strong showing in the Caribou State Farm Little League Tournament, held July 27 and 28.
In the 9-10 division, Caribou-Cindy’s Sub Shop came through with the tourney title, besting Presque Isle in the championship game, 20-4.
Caribou put 12 runs on the scoreboard in the first inning and did not look back while cruising to the win. During the big rally, Hayden Hunter doubled and singled, while Caleb Espling singled twice as did Ethan Holdsworth to lead the charge for Caribou.
Holdsworth also doubled later in the game. Cullin Caverhill, Dom Crouch and Jacob Berkoski combined on the pitching duties. For Presque Isle, who was impressive coming out of a difficult bracket to reach the title game, Zach Fletcher, Chance Bragan and Nate Willett all singled while Sam Beaulieu ripped a double. Bragan and Beaulieu also scored runs.
In the 11-12 division, Caribou-County Physical Therapy also made it into the finals but fell to Houlton-Porter by a 4-3 final in game decided in extra innings.
Noah Missbrenner of Houlton and Camden Huck of Caribou did the pitching and were effective throughout, with both having shutouts going into the fourth inning.
Missbrenner’s RBI double in the bottom of the fourth broke a scoreless tie. Nick Perfitt came across later in the inning on a passed ball to make it 2-0.
Caribou answered with a single run in the top of the fifth after Alex Bouchard and Austin Findlen each singled and Bouchard scored on an error.
Zach Cowperthwaite doubled and scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-1, but Bouchard had a two-out, two-run single in the top of the sixth to tie the game.
Houlton failed to scored in the bottom of the sixth to send the game into extra innings. Caribou did not score in its half, but Andrew Tuttle doubled and Keegan Gentle followed with a walk-off single to give Houlton the dramatic win.
The Presque Isle 11-12 team compiled a 2-1 record in the tourney, falling by a 2-1 score to the victorious Houlton-Porter team in pool play and defeating both Caribou-Kearney and Grand Falls. Jaren Winger was the hard-luck losing pitcher against Houlton-Porter, while Dakota Morrow and Jonah Hudson gained pitching victories in the other two contests.
Other teams in 9-10 tourney were Fort Fairfield, Mount Desert Island, Bradford, Houlton, Orrington and the Maine Sluggers of Brewer.
Also competing in the 11-12 event were Fort Kent, Bradford, Mount Desert Island, Houlton-Tucker, Caribou-Kearney, Presque Isle, Grand Falls and the Maine Sluggers of Brewer.
