PI baseball team 2nd in tourney
CARIBOU – On Aug. 2, the Northern Maine Community Recreation Association 10-12 Baseball Tournament was held, and host Caribou captured first place in the six-team, single-elimination event.
Presque Isle and Caribou matched up in the title game that proved to be a great battle between the two talented teams.
It was a pitchers’ duel between Presque Isle’s Andrew Paterson and Caribou’s Justin Ouellette for the first four innings. Paterson struck out the side in the top of the first inning and had 10 strikeouts in the game. Ouellette looked unbeatable as well, striking out 14 Presque Isle batters.
Caribou scored three times in the top of the fourth inning, as Ouellette singled, Reece McDougal doubled to right and Hunter Millard reached on a hit and later scored himself.
Presque Isle answered in the bottom of the fifth as both Jason Bartley and Josiah Morse reached base and scored to cut the lead to one.
Caribou managed to score some insurance runs in the sixth inning as Michael Hunter singled, followed by hits from Ouellette and McDougal. All three scored to put Caribou up, 6-2. Presque Isle put up a fight in the bottom of the sixth and both Paterson and Nick Bartlett scored runs, but Presque Isle came up two runs short.
Caribou defeated Mars Hill and Ashland to reach the title game, while Presque Isle got past Fort Fairfield in the first round and Madawaska in the second to make it into the championship.
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
PRESQUE ISLE COACH Brad Boyles gives a high five to Ben Buckley, who had just scored a run in his team’s game against Fort Fairfield on Aug. 2 during the County tournament for 10-12 year-old baseball players. Presque Isle won the game and went on to finish as runners-up to Caribou in the competition.