Wildcat squads rebound for victories
The Presque Isle softball and baseball teams were both staring at 0-4 records following the first week of action, but the Wildcats made amends for the tough start in their contests played last week.
The softball team won all three games and the baseball team took two of three to get back on track.
The squads played their first home games Thursday and both defeated Fort Kent in blowouts. Saturday they traveled to Mount Desert Island and the girls swept the doubleheader and the boys were involved in a pair of one-run games — winning one and losing the other.
The Wildcat girls scored seven first-inning runs en route to a 12-7 victory in the opener against the Trojans. PI fell behind 4-0 in game two and called upon Faith Leavitt to relieve starter Sydney Thompson with the bases loaded and nobody out in the second inning. Leavitt was able to get out of the jam without allowing a run and pitched shutout ball for the next eight innings as well.
“She was outstanding,” said coach Terry Cummings of Leavitt’s performance, noting she gave up four walks and five hits during her stint and struck out five batters.
Presque Isle trailed by a run with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Thompson came through with a single to plate Taylor Williams from second base with the tying run. The Wildcats scored twice in the top of the 10th inning and held on for the victory.
“We never gave up and came back for a huge win on the road,” Cummings added.
The baseball team pulled out a 4-3 win in game one over the Trojans as Caleb Nadeau got the pitching win with the complete-game six-hitter. Nadeau blanked MDI through the first five innings before the hosts rallied by scoring a run in the sixth and two in the seventh to make it close.
Nick Bartlett singled twice and scored a run, while Jonah Hudson contributed an RBI double for PI.
R.J. Gross gave up only three earned runs while scattering nine hits in his six innings of work in the nightcap. However, PI managed just two runs off MDI starter Seth Clark, who fanned five and surrendered just five hits. The Trojans scored the winning run off reliever Hudson in the seventh on a wild pitch. Gross led the Wildcat offense with two singles.
The Wildcat squads face tough opponents Thursday on the road as both the Houlton baseball and softball teams are sporting 4-0 records and are atop the Class C North rankings.
The Ashland softball team has won its first three games, beating Hodgdon and LCS/MSSM on the road before stopping Fort Kent in the first home contest of the spring Monday. The biggest win of the three came on Saturday as the Hornets were able to sneak away with a 4-3 triumph in Limestone behind Whitney Page’s homer, three singles by Caitlin Paradis and two by Cassidy Pelletier.
Sara Edgecomb tossed a three-hitter Friday as Fort Fairfield blanked Washburn, 8-0, for the team’s first win of the season and an 0-2 start. Sarah Watt had two hits and three RBIs for the winners. The Tigers also stopped East Grand/GHCA and held the Vikings scoreless in the 14-0 win.
Washburn also lost to Hodgdon last Tuesday, 17-14, to begin the season with an 0-2 mark.
On the baseball diamond, the Tiger boys have started strong with victories over Madawaska, Southern Aroostook, Washburn and East Grand. Fort Fairfield has allowed just five runs over its last three games. Carter Bruce has picked up a pair of pitching wins so far and Jared Harvey was dominant in Thursday’s 7-2 triumph over Washburn, striking out 14 batters while going the distance.
The Beavers posted a victory in their only other game by a 12-6 score over a strong Hodgdon squad. A six-run rally in the third inning keyed the win for Washburn. Noah Caron scored three runs after reaching base safely four times, while McCall Turner tripled, singled and scored twice.
Central Aroostook has played just one game so far, besting LCS/MSSM at home Saturday, 10-7. The Ashland Hornets are still seeking their first win after dropping early games to Hodgdon and Fort Kent. Ashland played at Washburn yesterday afternoon.
