Baseball, softball finally under way

    After a longer-than-usual wait, Monday marked the beginning of the Aroostook County varsity softball and baseball season.
Presque Isle was able to get  in a pair of doubleheaders last week, but those games were played in the Bangor area.
Mars Hill and Hodgdon were the sites of contests played Monday.
At Central Aroostook, a wild game marked the mutual opener for the host Panthers and the visiting Wisdom Pioneers on the softball diamond.
CA broke out to a 4-0 lead, but trailed 18-11 entering the bottom of the seventh, and final, inning. The Panthers then rallied for seven runs, the final three coming courtesy of a bases-loaded double off the bat of Whitnie Bradbury that helped provide the dramatic victory.
Bradbury finished with four hits and six RBIs and Stephanie Dame had two hits, both doubles, and four RBIs.
The Pioneers won the baseball game played that same afternoon, 13-1.
In Hodgdon, the Ashland girls had their potent offense in gear as they slugged out a 27-9 triumph.
Caitlin Paradis tripled twice, doubled and drove in five runs, while Cassidy Pelletier and Marissa Chasse each tripled and combined for three other hits for the winners, who scored 11 times in the top of the seventh inning to break open a close game.
Chasse was also the winning pitcher.
On the baseball diamond, the host Hawks escaped with a 5-4 victory. Jeremy Caron had a pair of singles and Ben Vaughn doubled for the Hornets.
The PI softball team swept John Bapst Saturday by scores of 7-1 and 14-4. Olivia Hudson was the winning pitcher in one of the games and led the offense with five hits, including three for extra bases. Carly Bell also pitched well for the Wildcats.
The baseball team dropped both games, 2-1 and 8-3.
On Thursday, the PI girls were swept by Hermon, while the baseball team used a four-run rally to tip the Hawks, 8-6, in game two following a 3-2 loss in the opener. Tyler Seeley’s three hits paced PI in the win.