With the regular season rapidly coming to a close, tennis, baseball and softball squads are jockeying for key positions for the postseason. The regular season ends Thursday, May 25. for boys and girls tennis, while Friday, June 2, is the final regular season day for baseball and softball.
The Caribou girls’ and boys’ tennis teams completed undefeated seasons with 5-0 victories over Presque Isle at UMPI Tuesday. The Viking girls did not lose an individual match all season, winning all 12 of their matches by 5-0 scores. Both teams take 12-0 records into the playoffs, which get underway next week.
Caribou is the No. 2 seed for both boys and girls, behind only Camden Hills. Both Vikings squads will receive first-round byes and host quarterfinal matches June 1. The PI boys are currently ninth and the girls are 11th, with the top 11 teams advancing to the playoffs.
The Houlton girls tennis team completed its season Wednesday with a pair of victories over Madawaska. The Shires (5-7) are sixth in the Class C North standings as of Thursday morning. If those standings hold, Houlton would host a preliminary playoff on Tuesday, May 30, against the No. 11 seed, which is Madawaska (1-8).
The Houlton boys tennis team ended its season Wednesday on a high note, picking up its first wins of the season in a doubleheader with Madawaska. The Shires finish 2-10 on the year and are not in the playoff picture.
The Houlton baseball team moved up the standings in Class C North with a come-from-behind victory over Mattanawcook Academy Tuesday evening. Houlton (11-1) is second as of Thursday’s rankings and has four games remaining on its schedule — two games with Calais, as well as Presque Isle and Lee Academy.
Thursday’s games include Schenck baseball/softball at Katahdin at 3:30 p.m.; Southern Aroostook at Ashland, 4 p.m.; and Houlton baseball/softball at Presque Isle, 7 p.m.
For singles players qualifying for the state individual tennis tournament, Friday’s matches have been moved to the Tennis Racket indoor facility in Portland, from Colby College in Waterville, due to the predicted rainy weather on Friday. The small school Penobscot Valley Conference track meet has been moved from Friday to Monday, beginning at 1 p.m., at Dover-Foxcroft.
The Wisdom at Washburn baseball doubleheader will now begin at 10 a.m. Friday, up from the scheduled 3 p.m. start. Madawaska’s scheduled baseball and softball doubleheader in Limestone has also been changed. Single games will be played in Madawaska beginning at 4 p.m. Friday. The teams will play a softball game in Limestone Saturday at 1 p.m. and the baseball game hosted by LCS/MSSM will now take place on Thursday, June 1 at 4 p.m.
The following is a recap of games played Tuesday and Wednesday.
Baseball
Houlton 5, Mattanawcook Academy 4 — At Houlton Tuesday, the Shires rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 4-2 deficit and collect the triumph over Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln.
“I think it [the game] took five years off my life,” Houlton coach Jim Castner said. “Nick Perfitt and JJ Clements for MA each threw great games and worked themselves out of jams.”
MA took a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh inning, setting up the dramatic finish. Cameron Graham and Nick Botting lead off with singles and then both stole bases. Following an out, Graham scored on a sacrifice fly by Perfitt.
Houlton’s Isia Bouchard followed with a tough, two-out at-bat before lacing a single that scored Botting to tie the game. Bouchard then stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a wild pitch.
“The game was a great team win because we came back from behind twice,” Castner said. “We are very excited about moving to first and hope that we can continue to take care of business and not overlook anybody. If we can stay No. 1, we can have home field for the entirety of the playoffs.”
Brady Pepin and J.J. Clements had two hits apiece for Mattanawcook Academy.
Fort Kent 14, Caribou 8 — The Warriors avenged an early-season loss and improve to 5-6 with the victory in Caribou Tuesday. The Vikes, who were playing their fifth game in four days, fell to 2-11. Individual results were not reported.
LCS/MSSM 26, Washburn 2 — The Eagles improved to 5-7 Tuesday after easing past the Beavers Tuesday in Limestone.
James Hawkes picked up his third pitching win of the season and he was aided by an offense which scored eight times in the first inning and 13 in the second. Alex Sprague, Jake Hatfield and Mason Patten provided four hits apiece to lead the LCS/MSSM offense.
Washburn is still winless at 0-9.
East Grand 8, Woodland 7 — At Woodland Wednesday, Phil Farley tripled, doubled and singled to lead the Vikings of Danforth past Woodland. Justin Monk doubled and singled for Woodland.
Ashland 11, Wisdom 6 — Baily Clark allowed one hit over four innings and Kyle Beaulier doubled and singled and drove in four runs as the Hornets won at home over the Pioneers Wednesday.
Lucas Craig and Clark both added a pair of singles for 6-4 Ashland, while Mason Sirois and Ben Michaud had the only hits for Wisdom, who fell to 1-7.
Fort Fairfield 8, Central Aroostook 1 — The Tigers are now 12-0 after beating the Panthers Wednesday in Fort Fairfield. Chris Gill was the only repeat hitter for the Tigers with two singles. Teammates Carter Bruce and Jon Bernard each had hits.
Caleb Harris and Colby Kingsbury had singles for 6-5 Central Aroostook.
Hodgdon 29, Washburn 5 — The Hawks sent the Beavers to their 10th consecutive loss with Wednesday’s win in Washburn. Hodgdon improved to 9-4 on the year. Individual results were not reported.
Softball
Caribou 7, Fort Kent 2 — The Viking earned a sweep of their season series against north rival Fort Kent Tuesday at Caribou, with senior Rachel Soucy leading the charge. She had two hits and knocked in three runs, while on the mound she dominated by striking out nine batters. Teammate Maddie Doucette singled and scored two runs for the Vikings, whose record is now 3-10.
The 1-10 Warriors’ Riley Sibley and Allie Daigle had the only two hits off Soucy.
Mattanawcook Academy 11, Houlton 5 — At Houlton Tuesday, the Shires (7-5) fell to visiting MA. Individual results were not reported.
Washburn 8, Hodgdon 7 — At Washburn Wednesday, Macey Barker knocked a two-run double to help lead Washburn (1-10) to its first win of the season in a big upset over top-ranked Hodgdon (9-4). Carly Bragg doubled in a run for the Beavers.
Megan Russell paced Hodgdon with a three-run homer.
LCS/MSSM 2, Ashland 1 — The Eagles were outhit 8-6, but still came up with the home victory Wednesday. It was their eighth win of the season against just three losses. Delaney Rossignol earned the pitching win, shutting out the Hornets until the seventh.
Haili Rahkover provided an RBI single in the third inning for what proved to be the winning run. Teammate Victoria Eichorn knocked in a run in the first with a sacrifice fly.
Amber Chasse and Morgan Doughty had three singles each for 4-5 Ashland. Cami Deabay was the hard-luck loser on the mound.
Central Aroostook 10, Fort Fairfield 2 — In a battle between teams fighting for playoff spots, the Panthers downed the Tigers in Fort Fairfield Wednesday. CA improved to 5-6 and Fort Fairfield fell to 3-9. Individual results were not reported.
Tennis
Caribou boys (12-0) 5, Presque Isle (7-5) 0 — Singles: Alec Cyr def. Andre Daigle 8-2, Parker Deprey def. Jordan Bonville 8-2, Gabe Rand def. Mason Young 8-0; Doubles: Bailey Griffeth-Emerson Duplissie-Cyr def. Isaac Madore-Gage Young 8-3, Seth Beidelman-Aiden Plante def. Austin Moreau-Brandon McKnight 8-0.
Caribou girls (12-0) 5, Presque Isle (6-6) 0 — Individual results were not reported.
Houlton girls 3, Madawaska 2 — At Houlton Wednesday, the individual results, with Shires listed first, were: in singles, Rebecca Mooers beat Isabelle Jandreau, 8-5; Sydney Lorom defeated Abby Gonneville, 8-1; and Maddie Grant lost to Paige Brown, 5-8. In doubles, Nadja Messerschmidt and Tessa McCormick lost to Kathryn Bosse and Katelyn Beaulieu, 4-8; and Grace Johnson and Carolyn Hannigan won by forfeit.
Houlton 5, Madawaska 0 — In the second match of the doubleheader, Mooers beat Jandreau, 8-4; Lorom defeated Gonneville, 8-1; and Grant beat Paige Brown, 8-5. In doubles, Messerschmidt and McCormick beat Beaulieu and Bosse, 8-5; and Johnson and Hannigan won by forfeit.
Houlton boys 3, Madawaska 2 — At Houlton Wednesday, the individual results, with Shires listed first were: in singles, Nolan Porter beat Ben Hebert, 8-1; Owen Gallop lost to Lance Lavoie, 0-8; and Devin Ivey lost to Matt Cyr, 5-8. In doubles, Jaron Gentle and Isaac Vega beat Alex Daigle and Anthony Daigle, 8-1; and Tim Youngfellow and Nate DeLucca bested Andrew Nadeau and Vincent Gillette, 8-4.
Houlton 3, Madawaska 2 – In the second match of the doubleheader, the individual results were: in singles, Porter beat Ben Hebert, 8-1; Gallop lost to Lavoie, 3-8; and Ivey lost to Cyr, 8-9 (4-7 in tiebreaker). In doubles, Vega and Gentle beat Alex Daigle and Anthony Daigle, 8-2; and Youngfellow and DeLucca bested Nadeau and Gillette, 8-2.
Pioneer Times photos/Joseph Cyr
