The Houlton Little League 11-12-year-old softball team was eliminated from the District 3 all-star double-elimination tournament in Lincoln.
On Monday, the Lincoln all-stars dashed Houlton’s hopes of working their way back through the brackets with a 33-13 win.
Lincoln (2-1, with Houlton giving them their loss) advances to the championship round of the District 3 Little League all-star softball tourney where they will be pitted against undefeated Hermon (2-0). Hermon advanced to the championship after their Sunday defeat of Houlton, 31-6. The title game was scheduled to be played yesterday at Mattanawcook Academy.
If Lincoln wins, the winner-take-all game would be today in Lincoln, with the winner heading to the state tournament in Rockland. All games are dependent upon the weather.
Against Houlton, Lincoln gathered 22 hits to Houlton’s two. The Houlton team had eight errors in the game. Lincoln and Houlton each had 10-run second innings, with Lincoln holding a 14-12 advantage. Lincoln scored four more runs in the third and then erupted for 15 in the fourth.
The Houlton all-stars were led by Abbie Worthley who singled twice and drove in a run, while Molly Schneider and Sam Condon each scored twice and stole two bases.
Last Sunday, the Houlton all-stars fell to undefeated Hermon, 31-6, as Hermon had 26 hits and 10 stolen bases and three of their pitchers — Katie Windsor, Olivia Albert and Megan Chamberlain — combined for a one-hitter, striking out 11 over four innings.
Anessa Wilde was the Houlton batter to reach Hermon’s pitching circle, as she singled with two outs in the seventh. Houlton scored all their runs on wild pitches or errors. Leading 6-0 after the first, Hermon collected 11 runs in the second to put the game out of reach.
In the first game of the tournament last Thursday, Houlton picked up a slim 10-9 win over Lincoln. In the bottom of the sixth, Houlton rallied for six runs, spearheaded by Wilde’s run-scoring ground out. Houlton had three hits in the game, but capitalized on nine walks and eight wild pitches.
Lincoln led 4-2 after three and by two runs in the fourth, 6-4, before adding three runs in the top of the sixth. However, Molly Schneider tied the game in the bottom of the frame on a two-run shot, while Sydney Lorom also drove in a run with a base hit. Mercedes McAfee and Kylee Tyler each drew bases-loaded walks to drive in a run each. Worthley also singled in the game for Houlton.
Wilde picked up the win, striking out four and walking two over six innings of work. Lincoln starter Haley McLaughlin struck out 12 in the losing effort.
