Limestone solid ‘D’ contender

    LIMESTONE, Maine — The LCS/MSSM Eagles softball team is hungry for a return to the Eastern Maine final. An outstanding regular season led to a trip to the championship last year, but Penobscot Valley of Howland, behind the arm of pitcher Kayla Dube, sent the Eagles back to the County with a 7-0 defeat. Having lost only one player (Daniele Pelkey) to graduation, this squad is poised to avenge its only loss from a year ago.
The Eagles have all of the tools necessary to make a run deep in the tournament, and in fact it is arguable that they are the odds on favorite for the Class D title. They are led by senior pitcher Melissa Cantafio who is one of the top pitchers in the division. She mixes her pitches well, and has good velocity to go with it.
On the offensive side, Cantafio has been a team leader, hitting for both average and power. Senior catcher Kelsee Albert is a great defender with a strong arm which has forced other teams to be much more cautious on the baselines. The third senior, Jordyn Hopkins, is solid in the outfield in left, and both Albert and Hopkins have been outstanding at the plate as well.
The Eagles feature two juniors in Ellyzabeth Bencivenga and Annie Sinclair. Bencivenga plays third and backs up Cantafio on the mound, while Sinclair is holding the right field position. Both have hit well to keep the offense moving.
Limestone features a big sophomore class which is led by centerfielder Chelsey Pelkey. a tremendous athlete who brings speed and range to the defense. Offensively. she is a tough out with her ability to get on base. Kassee Albert anchors the infield at shortstop, while Jackie Peers is at second. Both have been excellent on defense and strong at the plate. Classmate Madeline Williams has seen action at first and catcher, while Sarah Hemphill and Leah Kihn have filled in where needed.
The freshman class includes Megan Faucher, Delaney Rossignol and Sage Williams. All are eager to learn the game and have seen action in a variety of spots.
Senior Mariah Williams and sophomore Danika Devost are the team managers.
Through their first eight games, the Eagles have posted an 8-0 record and have won by a combined score of 133-32. First-year coach Andrew Kirby, who is assisted by Chelsea Leighton and Cynthia Trapnell, is excited by the team’s performance thus far.
“Everyone in the order from one to nine has hit well,” Kirby explained. “We have been smart on the bases with great speed. Our team goal is to get back to that championship game,” he stated, “and go one step further and bring home the state championship this season.”