LINCOLN, Maine — A late-game rally by Mattanawcook Academy, including a seven-run fifth inning, proved to be too big of a hole for the Houlton softball team to climb out of June 8 as the No. 5 Shiretowners fell 14-9 in a Class C North quarterfinal.
No. 4 Mattanawcook Academy (14-3 overall) received a solid pitching performance from Haley McLaughlin (five hits, nine walks and seven strikeouts), but it was the bats of the Lynx that were the difference. MA bashed 13 hits off Houlton pitcher Kristen Graham.
Cheyanne Libby led Mattanawcook Academy with a double, two singles and three RBIs and Emma Page singled twice and drove in two runs. McLaughlin doubled and singled (RBI), Camryn Lyons singled twice (RBI) and Kourtney Thurlow posted the go-ahead, two-out, two-run single in the fifth.
For Houlton, Tyra Gentle had three hits and two RBI, Graham had two doubles, and Emma Peterson had a hit and two RBI.
MA took an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but Houlton rallied to tie the game 4-4 in the top of the fourth inning. The Shires then went up 8-5 in the fifth inning, but MA came charging back, capitalizing on three Houlton errors in the bottom of the fifth to go up 12-8.
Houlton ends it season with a 12-5 overall record.
