The Houlton 9-10-year-old all-star team, sponsored by Swallow’s Electric, has avoided elimination from the District 3 Little League All-star Tournament with victories over Katahdin Valley and Holbrook.
   The 3-1 Houlton squad was scheduled to play host Bangor West yesterday in the double-elimination tournament.
Last Saturday, the Houlton all-stars defeated Katahdin Valley, 17-7 in four innings of play behind explosive seven-run second inning and another six-run third inning.
Leading the charge for Houlton was Ryan Dee, who had a two-run homerun in the second inning. Garrett Putnam added two hits, including a triple, two walks, and he scored four times. Ben Tuttle and Garrett Ring each added run-scoring singles for the winners, while Nick Cowperthwaite contributed with two hits and Tyler Brown and Matt Tuttle each had a hit.
Dee and Putnam combined to pitch four innings, striking out 10 to earn the win.
For Katahdin Valley, Dylan Porter smacked two doubles to drive in a run, while Cameron Landry added two singles. Katahdin Valley ended the tournament with a record of 1-2.
Last Sunday, the Houlton all-stars defeated Holbrook 8-3 behind Ben Tuttle’s performance.
After a rough first inning, where Tuttle walked the first two batters and then allowed an RBI single to spot Holbrook a 2-0 lead, he settled down and did not allow another Holbrook batter to reach base until the top of the fourth inning, as Tuttle retired nine straight batters.
In the fourth, after Holbrook’s Jamison Rhoads-Doyle hit a single and later scored on a passed ball, Tuttle finished the inning by striking out two batters, stranding a runner on second. He started the fifth inning, striking out the first batter, and then Cowperthwaite came on in relief, sitting down five of the last six batters to earn the save. Tuttle and Cowperthwaite combined on a two-hitter, with 10 strikeouts and three walks.
Houlton scratched out a first-inning run after Ring tripled to lead off the inning. Putnam followed with an RBI groundout to bring in Ring. Houlton then scored five runs in the third inning to break open a close game.
After Cameron Graham was hit by a pitch, Ring and Putnam each hit consecutive singles, with Graham scoring to tie the game at 2-all with Putnam’s hit. After B. Tuttle hit an RBI groundout to make the score 3-2, Dee belted a two-run homerun pushing the score to 5-2.
Cowperthwaite followed with a single, while Brown doubled and Parker Brewer hit a run-scoring single to extend the lead to 6-2.
Dee added an RBI single in the fourth inning, while M. Tuttle hit another run-scoring single in the fifth.
Houlton played an excellent defensive game behind Tuttle and Cowperthwaite, making only one error during the game.
On July 7, the Swallow’s Electric all-stars fell to an equally talented Hermon squad, 7-5, in a hard fought game.
The game was a pitching duel between Houlton’s B. Tuttle and Hermon’s Tyler Beaton.
Houlton struggled in the bottom of the first, allowing Hermon to jump out to a 2-0 lead without allowing a hit. Hermon had three consecutive batters reach base on throwing errors. But, the Houlton all-stars were able to settle down with no further damage. B. Tuttle fanned the next two batters to end the inning.
In the top of the second, Houlton countered with two runs to tie the score at 2-all. Cowperthwaite hit a one-out single, followed with Tyler Brown reaching on an error, putting runners in scoring position. Payton Porter reached on a fielder’s choice by the pitcher, who fired home to throw out Cowperthwaite at the plate. Connor Grant stroked an RBI single to put Houlton on the board and pinch runner Jacob Brown scampered home on a passed ball to tie the score.
Hermon tacked on two more runs in the third and three runs in the fourth. The big blow for Houlton came when Hermon’s Eric Hoogterp hit a two-run double to push the lead to 7-2.
But, Houlton battled back in the top of the fifth when Garrett Ring singled and after a one-out walk to B. Tuttle, Ryan Dee belted a three-run home run to narrow the scoring gap, 7-5.
That’s as close as Houlton was able to get, as Hermon relievers, Hoogterp and Bryce Herftje, combined to record the last five outs. B. Tuttle pitched the first 3 1/3 innings, allowing only two hits, four runs (only two earned), while striking out eight Hermon batters. Cowperthwaite pitched the last 1 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on only one Hermon hit, while striking out three.