The regular season is rapidly winding to a close and this weekend features a number of contests involving central and southern Aroostook County schools.
On Friday, the Caribou tennis team travels to Old Town for a noon match against the Coyotes.
The Washburn softball team, winless so far this season, takes on undefeated Southern Aroostook in Dyer Brook at 3:30 p.m., while the Beavers’ baseball team, also still looking for its first victory, hosts Greater Houlton Christian Academy at 4 p.m.
The Fort Fairfield softball and baseball teams make the trip north to St. Agatha to play Wisdom, at 4 p.m. Katahdin baseball and softball squads also make the long trek north to take on Madawaska at 4 p.m.
On Saturday, Caribou heads to Dover-Foxcroft for baseball and softball doubleheaders against Foxcroft Academy which begin at 11 a.m. Houlton baseball and softball journeys to Fort Kent for a doubleheader with the Warriors starting at 11 a.m. and Greater Houlton Christian Academy baseball plays at Southern Aroostook at 3:30 p.m.
On Thursday, the Caribou tennis teams kept their undefeated regular seasons alive, while the Wildcat tennis teams were swept at home by Fort Kent and the Presque Isle baseball and softball teams each swept doubleheaders played on the road.
Summaries of tennis matches and baseball and softball games involving local squads are as follows:
Tennis
Caribou girls (10-0) 5, Houlton (4-4) 0 — Singles: Gabrielle Marquis (C) def. Rebecca Mooers 8-1, Ashley Matlock (C) def. Sydney Lorom 8-1, Hailey Holmquist (C) def. Maddie Grant 8-0; doubles: Madison Stratton/Ciara Richards (C) def. Grace Johnson/Morgan Graham 8-0, Samantha Tourk/Sage Dubay (C) def. Dina Koretsky/Emily Miller 8-1.
Caribou boys (10-0) 5, Houlton (3-5) 0 — Singles: Parker Deprey (C) def. Nolan Porter 8-1, Gabriel Rand (C) def. Tim Youngfellow 8-1, Bailey Griffeth (C) def. Devin Ivey 8-2; doubles: Sawyer Deprey/Emerson Duplissie-Cyr (C) def. Isaac Vega/Jaron Gentle 8-0, Seth Beidelman/Aidan Plante (C) def. Ben Grant/Nate Delucca 8-5.
Fort Kent girls (4-3) 3, Presque Isle (6-6) — Singles: Sarah Pelletier (FK) def. Hana Boucher 9-8 (7-5), Miranda Bragan (PI) def. Cassidy Lovely 8-4, Sydni Pelletier (FK) def. Anna Robinson 8-4; doubles: Gaby Halley-Jenna Ouellette (PI) def. Autumn Bouchard-Isabel Charette 8-6, Kailee Guimond-Hannah Daigle (FK) won by forfeit.
Fort Kent boys (4-3) 4, Presque Isle (7-5) 1 — Singles: Andre Daigle (PI) def. Niko Naranja 8-6, Jonathan Blanchette (FK) def. Mason Young 9-7, Reece Voisine (FK) def. Jordan Bonville 8-2; doubles: Caleb Delisle-Sam Johnson (FK) def. Gage Young-Austin Moreau 8-2, Raphael Babin-Cole Bennett (FK) won by forfeit.
Baseball
Presque Isle 4, Washington Academy 0; Presque Isle 10, Washington Academy 4 — The Wildcats doubled their win total on the season by sweeping past Washington Academy in a doubleheader played Thursday in East Machias.
Presque Isle (4-7) used a stellar pitching performance by senior R.J. Gross to win the opener. Gross fired a shutout, allowing just six hits and no walks while striking out six.
He and Jonah Hudson led the PI offense with two singles each and the duo combined for three RBI. Zack Fletcher tripled and scored a pair of runs. The Wildcats scored three times in the fifth inning to break the game open.
In the second game, Hudson and Dakota Morrow combined on the pitching duties and held down WA to complete the sweep. Hudson went the first five innings before giving way to Morrow for the final two.
Hudson singled and doubled and Gross singled, stole three bases and scored twice. Adam Paterson, who caught both games, added a single and a double and Chance Bragan tripled and scored a run. The game was close until PI scored five runs in the sixth to win going away. Gross, playing third base, started a double play to end the game.
Softball
Presque Isle 11, Washington Academy 1; Presque Isle 22, Washington Academy 2 — The Wildcats improved to 5-7 by winning easily in both ends of a twinbill played Thursday in East Machias.
Sydney Thompson tossed a complete game two-hitter in the opener. Emma Bouchard, Lydia Miller, Anna Trombley, Alana Legassie and Savannah Rodriguez collected two hits apiece in the victory.
In game two, Rodriguez and Rebecca Rider hit back-to-back home runs and each finished with three RBI. Thompson had two hits, scored three runs and drove in four runs, while Rodriguez added two other hits and also scored three runs. Rider, Bouchard, Trombley and Legassie were other repeat hitters.
Thompson pitched into the fifth inning before Miller came on in relief to record the final two outs. They combined on a three-hitter in another game ending after five innings.
“It was a great day for us both offensively and defensively,” said PI coach Terry Cummings, whose team takes a three-game winning streak into Tuesday’s home game against Houlton. “We seem to be putting it together now.”
East Grand 16, Shead 3 — At Eastport Thursday, Kianna Caissie had three singles and scored four runs to lead East Grand of Danforth past Shead. East Grand is now 7-1 on the season.
For Shead (2-6), Jacquelyn Cook tripled.
