STACYVILLE, Maine — A stellar pitching performance by Katahdin’s Bradley Hotham and John McNally catapulted the Cougars to a 5-0 shutout over Stearns Tuesday afternoon, June 4, in a Class D North preliminary playoff.
No. 6 Katahdin (11-4 overall) advances to the quarterfinals Thursday, where the team takes on No. 3 Hodgdon (11-3) at 4 p.m. The Cougars faced Hodgdon twice during the regular season, losing both contests — 13-3 and 13-1 — early in the regular season.
Katahdin sophomore Bradley Hotham fires a pitch to the plate during a regular season game earlier this season. Hotham struck out 18 in Tuesday’s 5-0 Class D North prelim win over Stearns. (Joseph Cyr)
In Tuesday’s prelim game, Hotham, a sophomore, was nearly untouchable as he struck out 18 batters over six-and-a-third scoreless innings on the mound. Hotham allowed just two hits and two walks on the day.
Cougar senior John McNally came on in relief, striking out two of the three batters he faced to preserve the shutout.
Katahdin coach Tim Thoreson said both pitchers had remarkable command of their pitches on the mound, with the only two hits on the day being ground balls in the infield.
For Stearns, Andrew Daigle pitched four innings, scattering four runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks with six strikeouts. Michael Clark gave up one earned run on two hits and two walks, with five strikeouts in two innings of relief.
Caleb Giles led Katahdin offensively with a triple and single, scoring two of the team’s five runs. Justin Hurlbert had two singles, an RBI and a run. Hotham, McNally, Wesley Richardson, Andrew Lewis and Jacob Fitzpatrick each had one single for the Cougars.
Gene Pelletier had both hits for Stearns, which finishes its season with a 4-13 record.
