With the mid-way point to the regular season approaching, several local baseball and softball squads are making strong bids to get into the post-season.
On the baseball diamond, Washburn is off to its best start in many years. The team has won five of its first six and is third in the Eastern Maine Class D standings, behind only PVHS and undefeated Southern Aroostook.
The Limestone-MSSM and Fort Fairfield squads are currently in spots that would put them in the playoffs. The Eagles are a perfect 4-0 and in eighth place, while the Tigers, at 3-2, are in 10th place. The top 13 teams out of 19 in the division will advance.
The Caribou Vikings’ baseball team is also in the hunt in EM Class B. Caribou was in eighth place, at 4-2, heading into Tuesday night’s showdown at Presque Isle.
The softball standings see Washburn in first place in ‘D’ with a 5-2 record. The team has benefited from its ability to win the close ones as the Beavers are 3-0 in one-run games. Limestone-MSSM, with a perfect 5-0 mark after beating the Beavers Monday, is in second place, while Fort Fairfield, at 4-1 following Monday’s victory over Wisdom, is in fifth.
In the Class B ranks, the youthful Vikings were 2-4 after being swept at home by John Bapst Saturday. Caribou was at Presque Isle for a Tuesday evening contest.
Summaries of some of the softball games played from May 6-12 are as follows:
Fort Fairfield 16, Wisdom 7
The Tigers scored nine times in the top of the seventh inning to break a tie game and beat the Pioneers in St. Agatha Monday to sweep the season series.
Logan Bubar knocked in four runs on a pair of singles and Teresa Maynard had three hits for the Tigers, who were outhit by the opponents, 11-10.
Limestone 12, Washburn 1
The visiting Eagles ran their record to 5-0 with the easy win over No. 1 Washburn Monday. Melissa Cantafio hit a grand slam home run and had two other hits for the winners. Teammates Ellyzabeth Bencivenga and Madeline Williams combined to go 9 for 9.
Carmen Bragg and Liza Durette had the lone hits for the Beavers.
John Bapst 15, Caribou 2
The first game of the Saturday twinbill was scoreless after three innings, but the Crusaders’ offense came alive in the late going and they won easily. Maddie Doucette’s two-run single in the fourth inning helped produce Caribou’s only runs.
John Bapst 16, Caribou 6
Caribou led after four innings, but again the Crusaders rallied in the late going to gain the sweep. Rachel Soucy had three hits, while Doucette, Morgan Outing, Katie Pelletier and Jenna Boucher had two apiece as the Vikings outhit the opponents.
Washburn 11, East Grand 10
The Beavers stormed out to an eight-run lead after three innings but had to hold off a late comeback effort by the Vikings in the game played at Washburn Friday. Bragg’s three hits led the Beavers to their fifth win of the season. Teammates Durette and Brittany Corey had two hits each.
Ashland 10, Fort Fairfield 9
Jaci Deabay’s bases-clearing triple highlighted a four-run first inning rally and powered the Hornets to the victory. The Tigers wiped out the early deficit and took the lead in the fifth inning, but Ashland scored on a hit batsmen in the bottom of the seventh to win in walk-off style.
Laura Sturgeon, Ally Beaulier and Rachel Gillis had two hits apiece for the winners, while Taylor Churchill, Megan Jellison and Logan Bubar were the repeat hitters for Fort.
Caribou 21, Fort Kent 6
Soucy tossed a no-hitter in the game called after six innings due to the “run rule.” Outing had three hits, scored four times and drove in four to key the Vikings on offense. Megan Thornton, Doucette and Pelletier banged out two hits each.
Limestone-MSSM 12, Ashland 5
The Eagles lined out 12 hits and used a seven-run rally in the sixth inning to get past the home team Hornets. Cantafio had three hits, including a triple and a double, to key the Eagle offense. Cassidy Pelletier had a two-run single and Caitlin Paradis had a pair of singles for Ashland.
Washburn 20, Central Aroostook 11
Corey had three hits and Durette had two, with the pair combining for five RBI, as the Beavers took care of the Panthers in game one of last Wednesday’s twinbill played in Washburn. Levesque had three hits for CA.
Washburn 11, Central Aroostook 10
Catelyn Coulombe and Bragg had two hits each as the Beavers pulled off the close win in the nightcap. Sheratin Kelly’s two hits paced the Panthers.
Washburn 9, Ashland 8
The Beavers scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to come from behind and beat the Hornets last Tuesday. Durette knocked in the winning run with a bases-clearing hit and also got the victory on the mound. Marissa Chasse had three hits for Ashland.
Limestone-MSSM 15, Madawaska 3
Kassee Albert had two hits and three RBI and Cantafio was dominant on the mound with 12 strikeouts in the two-hitter as the Eagles won again last Tuesday. Chelsey Pelkey had two hits and Bencivenga drove in three runs for the winners.
Game reports for several of the baseball games that took place during the same time frame are as follows:
Wisdom 10, Fort Fairfield 0
Nate Boynton tossed a shutout Monday, going the distance, as Wisdom atoned for an earlier loss to the Tigers.
Caribou 6, John Bapst 5
The Vikings beat the Crusaders in game one of the Saturday doubleheader, played at CHS, by overcoming an early 5-1 deficit. Mason Huck, Michael Hunter and Matt Milliard led Caribou’s offense. Matt Curry got the win on the mound by going the distance.
Caribou 13, John Bapst 4
Milliard doubled twice and singled as Caribou completed the sweep. Cody Herbert and Sean Sadler each doubled for the victors. Sadler was also the winning pitcher, with Herbert coming on in the seventh to close things out.
Washburn 22, East Grand 3
The Beavers pounded out 18 hits, with Michael Ericson, Mccall Turner, Noah Farley, Keagan Page, Parker Thompson and Carter Doak notching at least two each in Friday’s lopsided win played at home.
Fort Fairfield 20, Ashland 7
Jon Bernard’s five hits and four RBI paced FF past the Hornets Friday in Ashland. Ryan Pelkey contributed four hits for the winners, while Timmy Tarr had three to lead the hosts.
Limestone-MSSM 7, Ashland 3
Jeremy Caron’s three hits and two RBI were not enough Thursday as Ashland was beaten by Limestone-MSSM. Nick Belanger had two hits in the loss.
Chris Bernier doubled and singled and drove in two runs to lead the unbeaten Eagles.
Caribou 34, Fort Kent 3
Against Fort Kent Thursday, Caribou banged out 26 hits in the easy win. Sadler, Dylan Berkoski and Curry led the way with three hits apiece. Two of Berkoski’s hits were homers and he finished with a team-high five RBI.
Washburn 11, Central Aroostook 5
The Beavers stayed hot behind the pitching of Alex Pelletier, who gave up only two hits in five innings of work in the win over the Panthers last Wednesday. Page and Noah Caron both had two-run singles during a five-run first inning.
Washburn 5, Ashland 2
Last Tuesday on the Beavers’ home diamond, Washburn had just three hits, but that was enough in the low-scoring battle against the Hornets. Page went the first five innings and garnered the win on the mound, while Ben Vaughn went the first three innings on the mound for Ashland.
Limestone-MSSM 8, Madawaska 2
Bernier fanned 15 batters and chipped in offensively with two hits as the Eagles won the home game last Tuesday. Travis Hatfield and Sam Kupiec had RBI doubles to aid the winning attack.