Presque Isle had scored a run in the first without the benefit of a hit, as the Class C Shires committed three infield errors to give the hosts the early lead. Wildcat coach Terry Cummings said the combination of his team’s recent emphasis on making the defense make plays and Houlton’s shaky start in the infield led to the “small ball” attack in the second.
“We had it done to us early in the season [in doubleheader losses at Hermon and Old Town in April], so we knew that was part of the game that we had to add,” Cummings said. “We’ve been working on it at practice, and the girls have been executing it perfectly. They know where the ball has to be bunted, and then they just keep running.
“It was a big plus tonight because it turned around what would have been a close game,” he added.
Ten batters went to the plate, beginning with Sydney Thompson’s soft line-drive single down the third-base line. Alyssa Trombley and Emma Bouchard followed with bunt singles, with Thompson scoring after the first baseman failed to handle the throw and the ball rolled into the outfield.
One out later, No. 9 hitter Allison Madore stroked an RBI single to right field to plate Trombley before Taylor Williams reached on the second error of the inning to bring home another run.
Jillian Flynn followed with a squeeze-bunt single to score Madore from third. A sacrifice bunt by Savannah Rodriguez brought home Williams, and then Flynn scored one of her four runs in the contest on a wild pitch to close the flurry.
On the mound, freshman Thompson pitched out of some jams with the help of her Wildcat defense. The Shires had the bases loaded with only one out in the second, third and fifth innings, but managed just one run. Thompson struck out the final two batters she faced in the second after walking in a run, while in the other two she benefitted from inning-ending double plays.
Despite battling some wildness (four walks, four hit batsmen), Thompson struck out seven batters and allowed just four hits for her sixth pitching victory.
Even though she surrendered just two hits outside of the second inning, Kristen Graham took the loss on the mound for the 9-4 Shires. She and Makayla Fitzpatrick led the Houlton offense with two singles each.
The Wildcats, competing for a playoff spot in the Class B North division, swept the season series as they had earned a 10-5 victory in the first matchup at Houlton May 5. They have now won eight in a row after the early-season losses to the Hawks and the Coyotes.
