CARIBOU, Maine — On May 13, the Caribou High School softball team looked far from a playoff team.
Following two lopsided shutout losses to Old Town that day, Caribou’s record fell to 0-8.
Since then, however, the Vikings have been surging. On Wednesday afternoon, Caribou sealed a trip to the postseason by beating Presque Isle 5-4. The Wildcats also are playoff bound with their 6-10 record despite losing four in a row.
The Vikings (5-11) won five of their final eight games and will take the 12th and final Class B North playoff position into their preliminary road game Tuesday, June 6.
Junior Kaytlin Waldemarson snapped a 4-4 tie with a pop-fly single down the first-base line with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. The hit plated Hollie McDougal, who had doubled to deep left field to start the inning, from third base.
It was the third RBI of the game for Waldemarson as she cracked a line-drive, two-run single into right-center field during her team’s four-run rally in the first.
“We knew that this could have been our last game if we lost, so I just tried to keep my head in it and said I was going to hit balls and they went flying,” Waldemarson said.
Waldemarson, who recorded four assists and three putouts from her second base position over the final four innings, made the game-ending play by ranging far to the left to scoop up a ground ball and throwing out PI designated hitter Hailey St. Thomas with a runner on base.
Caribou, which had lost 10-1 to Presque Isle on May 11, showed it is a much different team from three weeks ago.
“We’ve been practicing hard and have just kept our heads in it and keep encouraging each other,” Waldemarson said.
Rachel Soucy, the Vikes’ senior pitcher, settled down after a rocky first inning in which she allowed hits to the first two batters she faced. Savannah Rodriguez and Sydney Thompson both came around to score.
Over the final six innings, she impressed by giving up one earned run, four hits and striking out six Presque Isle batters.
“Softball is mostly mental and our coach (Kayla Richards) does a good job keeping us into it mentally,” Soucy said. “We’ve improved so much over the course of the season. We’ve started to hit the ball and that has been a major factor.”
Caribou played without senior shortstop Maddie Doucette, who injured a finger during a practice two days earlier.
McDougal doubled and singled and scored two runs and Riley McNeal notched an RBI single to complement Waldemarson at the plate.
Rodriguez, Presque Isle’s sophomore catcher, tied the game at 4-4 with her two-out run scoring triple in the top of the sixth. Senior Amy Seeley stroked a pair of singles and Thompson scored two runs for the Wildcats.
PI senior Faith Leavitt pitched well, allowing just one earned run in her six innings of work. She struck out three batters, walked two and allowed just three hits over the final five innings after surrendering four in the first.
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- Pitcher Rachel Soucy, center, and catcher Jaelynn Doody, right, celebrate with coach Kayla Richards after Caribou defeated Presque Isle, 5-4, on Wednesday in Caribou. (Kevin Sjoberg)
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- Presque Isle third baseman Kayla Saucier slaps a late tag on Caribou baserunner Kaytlin Waldemarson in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s game in Caribou. The Vikings won, 5-4. (Kevin Sjoberg)
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- Caribou third baseman Emily Adler gets ready to fire the ball to first base for an out in Wednesday’s game against Presque Isle. (Kevin Sjoberg)
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- Presque Isle’s Alaina Legassie slides safely into first base as Viking second baseman Kaytlin Waldemarson catches the ball during the fourth inning of Wednesday’s game in Caribou. (Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg)
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- Emily Adler (center) congratulates No. 3 Hollie McDougal as teammate Jaelynn Doody (background) looks on. McDougal’s run, which came in the sixth inning, broke a tie and gave Caribou a 5-4 victory over Presque Isle Wednesday at Caribou High School. (Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg)
