HOULTON, Maine — The high school regular baseball season is closing out and playoffs are beginning. The baseball preliminary games are set for Tuesday, June 9, with the quarterfinals on Thursday, June 11 and semifinals on Saturday, June 13. These games will be played on the higher seeded school’s field.
The regional baseball games will be Tuesday, June 16 for Class D at 6:30 p.m., with Class C playing Wednesday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m. Both games are scheduled at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor.
The Class C state final will be on Saturday, June 20 at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor at 2 p.m., while Class D will be played at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph’s College.
As of the most current Heal Point standings, Houlton is in third with an 11-2 record behind No. 1, Bucksport, 11-4 and No. 2, George Stevens Academy, 12-2.
Rounding out the qualifying teams are: No. 4, Central, 8-6; No. 5, Washington Academy, 11-4; No. 6, Mattanawcook Academy, 11-3; No. 7, Calais, 7-7; No. 8, Dexter, 7-7; No. 9, Fort Kent, 7-8; No. 10, Orono, 6-8; and No. 11, PCHS, 6-8.
The Houlton Shiretowners picked up a win over Presque Isle on Monday night at Community Park. Houlton right-handed ace Ryan Dee fired a one-hit shutout for a 3-0 win. Dee struck out nine, while Ethan Bouchard scored twice on Dan Howe’s hits.
Andrew Paterson was the tough-luck losing pitcher for Presque Isle as he scattered six hits. Sam Gray recorded a single.
The Shiretowners led 1-0 through four innings and capped off the scoring with two runs in the fifth.
Last Wednesday, the Houlton Shiretowners overpowered host Lee Academy, 20-3, collecting 15 hits in a five-inning game. Nick Botting blasted a home run and a double, while Howe doubled and singled twice. Jake Drew and Tom Prescott each singled twice, as well.
Last Tuesday, the Houlton boys played a doubleheader at Calais, taking a sweep, 20-9 and 14-2.
In the second game, Billy Phillips stroked a three-run homer, while Dee doubled and drove in three runs, while in the opener, Howe punched out a double and a pair of singles.
The Hodgdon Hawks are fourth in last Tuesday’s Heal Point standings in Class C, following No. 1, Ashland, 11-4; No. 2, SACS, 11-2; and No. 3, Stearns, 11-2. Capping off the qualifying teams are: No. 5, Fort Fairfield, 9-4; No. 6, Shead, 12-2; No. 7, Washburn, 9-4; No. 8, Woodland, 9-4; No. 9, Bangor Christian, 7-7; No. 10, PVHS, 6-8; No. 11, Schenck, 6-8; and No. 12, Katahdin, 4-9.
The East Grand/Greater Houlton Christian Academy finished 17th with a 0-12 season.
On Monday, the Hawks pulled out a 3-0 victory over visiting Limestone/MSSM behind a complete-game shutout by Sam Horton, who had nine strikeouts. Horton helped his own cause, as well as Matt Tuttle, as each player roped two singles.
Hodgdon did not seal the game until the bottom of the sixth when they scored all three runs.
Last Friday, Fort Fairfield edged host Hodgdon, 7-6. The Hawks led 5-2 after four innings, but the Tigers rallied for a four-run seventh inning to force an extra inning. The Tigers’ Jonathan Bernard led off the eighth with single, followed by Isaac Cyr’s RBI-single to give Fort Fairfield the win.
Ethan Fink led Hodgdon with a pair of singles and drove in a run, while Ben Tuttle singled twice and brought in a run.
Last Wednesday, the Hodgdon boys fell to host Washburn, 15-2, as Noah Caron pitched a one-hitter over five innings, striking out six. Hodgdon’s Dillion Buzzell reached Caron for the lone hit.
At Fort Fairfield last Tuesday, the Tigers blanked the Hawks, 10-0, allowing Hodgdon one hit off the bat of M. Tuttle.
Last Saturday, the Southern Aroostook boys dominated Limestone/MSSM by a 19-0 score. Nate Lilley had four hits, while Josh Perrin threw a one-hitter, allowing no runs through the first three innings, while striking out five.
Last Tuesday, Ashland outlasted SACS, 13-12.
At Ashland, Vaughan’s two-out, two-run double and Cody Blair’s RBI single highlighted a three-run fifth inning that lifted the Hornets to victory.
SACS’ Lilley posted three hits and an RBI, while Parker Walker and Cory Rockwell (RBI) each added two hits.
Last Saturday, the PVHS Howlers trailed Katahdin, 4-0, before taking over in the fifth to take an 8-7 win despite a three-run rally for the Cougars in the last inning.
Shey Lane hit a grand slam and a three-run homer to power the Cougars, while Tyson Porter and Nick Drew chipped in with two hits apiece.
Last Tuesday, Bangor Christian defeated Katahdin, 6-4 and 10-5.
In the second game, Lane, Cody Brownlee, and Devin McGraw each had three hits apiece for Katahdin to back losing pitcher Tyson Porter, who fanned six.
At home to Schenck, the Wolverines to victory, 9-4.
Lane went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Cougars and also scored twice. Brody Guiggey doubled.
The Cougars also lost to Stearns, 16-2. No information was provided for this game.
