PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The host Presque Isle junior girls softball team won all three games en route to the title in the Northern Maine Community Recreation Association tournament held Friday.
Presque Isle defeated Caribou in the opening round, 7-0, before stopping Ashland, 19-4, in the semifinals.
In the championship game, Presque Isle recorded a 9-3 victory over Fort Fairfield, which had taken its semifinal over Mars Hill, 6-2.
In the finals, PI took the early lead and never surrendered it. Lizzy Nadeau’s RBI double in the second inning plated Stephanie Donovan, who had singled with one out, for the game’s first run.
PI erupted for four more runs in the top of the third. Abby Yarema tripled and Libby Moreau followed with a home run to begin the rally. Allison Madore then doubled and Emma Bouchard slammed a homer to cap it.
The lead grew to 9-0 in the fourth on consecutive hits by Yarema, Moreau, Madore, Bouchard and Rebecca Rider.
Fort Fairfield kept battling, scoring twice in the fourth on a single by Camryn Ala, a walk to Cammi King and a single by Cassidy Coiley, followed by an RBI groundout by Delaney St. Pierre.
FF added a run in the bottom of the sixth as Ala singled, King reached on a fielder’s choice and walks offered to Coiley, St. Pierre and Rachel Milliard forced in a run. However a line drive to Yarema at second off the bat of Olivia Langner led to a game-ending double play.
Moreau and Madore did the pitching for the winners, while Brenna Levasseur and King handled the duties for FF.
In the quarterfinal against Caribou, Emma Bouchard and Faith Sjoberg combined on a one-hitter on the mound. PI took advantage of 13 walks issued by Caribou pitching to come out on top. Bouchard led the offense with three hits.
PI scored 10 fifth-inning runs to stop Ashland in the semis. Bouchard homered and tripled, Rider had four hits and Madore added three more for the winners. Moreau homered and singled to contribute to the attack.
Shelby Stoltz and Willow Hall each homered and Ava Cameron had two doubles and a single for Ashland.
In Fort’s win over Mars Hill, Ala tripled and drove in a pair of runs, while Levasseur and King combined for nine strikeouts. Brie Bradbury homered and singled for Mars Hill.
