A busy slate of games are on tap for Thursday as local baseball and softball squads enter the quarterfinals.
In baseball, No. 1 Houlton (11-3) hosts No. 8 Orono (8-9) at 1:30 p.m. in a Class C North contest. The game is a rematch of last year’s semifinal contest. Houlton and Orono met twice during the regular season, with the Shires winning 10-1 and 3-2.
For Class D North quarterfinals, No. 1 Fort Fairfield (12-2) hosts No. 9 Stearns (8-9) at 2 p.m. in the first meeting of the season between the two squads.
No. 4 Central Aroostook (9-6) hosts No. 5 Katahdin (11-4) at 3 p.m. The Panthers of Mars Hill beat Katahdin of Stacyville twice during the regular season — 3-0 in Mars Hill and 6-5 at Stacyville.
In softball, No. 4 Houlton (9-5) hosts No. 5 Orono (9-7) at 1:30 p.m. in a Class C North quarterfinal. Houlton lost to Orono 10-4 in the season-opener in Orono, but beat the Red Riots 5-4 in Houlton May 28.
No. 6 East Grand (12-2) travels to Stacyville for a Class D quarterfinal matchup with No. 3 Katahdin (11-3) at noon. The two teams did not meet during the regular season.
No. 1 Southern Aroostook (14-0) hosts No. 9 Madawaska (8-7) at 1:30 p.m. in a Class D quarterfinal. The Warriors beat Madawaska 13-5 and 7-6 in a doubleheader played in Madawaska May 5.
No. 4 Ashland (10-5) entertains No. 5 Woodland (13-4) at 4 p.m. The Hornets downed No. 13 Schenck Wednesday and the Dragons defeated No. 12 Jonesport-Beals in the preliminary round. The teams did not meet on the regular season.
The following is a recap of prelim baseball and softball games played Wednesday.
Medomak Valley 14, Presque Isle 2 — At Waldoboro, the sixth-seeded Panthers scored three times in the bottom of the second inning to grab the lead for good en route to a lopsided Class B North prelim victory over the Wildcats Wednesday.
Emily Wotton, Josey Jameson and Abby Nelson began the rally with consecutive hits before Lydia Simmons drove in two runs with a two-out single later in the frame. Medomak Valley had a total of 17 hits in the five-inning game, three each from Simmons, Jameson and Nelson.
Savannah Rodriguez went 3 for 3, including two doubles, and collected both RBIs for the Wildcats, the No. 11 seed who finished the season with a 7-10 record. Sydney Thompson and Anna Trombley had the other hits off winning pitcher Gabby DePatsy.
MDI 8, Caribou 2 — At Bar Harbor, Sam Keblinksy and Nick Stanley each hit two-run doubles to back a strong pitching performance by Matt Perconti to help the third-seeded Mount Desert Island Trojans beat No. 14 Caribou 8-2 in a Class B baseball preliminary round game on Wednesday.
Jacob Mitchell provided two singles and an RBI while Perconti helped his own cause with two RBIs for Mount Desert Island.
Alex Ezzy singled and drove in a run while Sebastian Marquis hit two singles for Caribou (4-13). Camden Huck started and took the loss on the mound, while Jacob Berkoski entered in the fourth inning and went the rest of the way.
Oceanside 2, Presque Isle 0 — At Morrill Field in Rockland, Logan Sheridan fired a five-hit shutout, striking out seven and walking none, to carry the fourth-seeded Mariners to a Class B baseball prelim victory over the No. 13 Wildcats.
Sheridan outdueled Presque Isle’s R.J. Gross, who scattered four hits with three strikeouts, three walks and a hit batter.
Titus Kaewthong doubled and singled to pace 14-3 Oceanside and Michael Norton Jr. singled twice.
Jonah Hudson posted two singles for 6-11 Presque Isle.
Katahdin 15, Ashland 0 — At Stacyville, Bradley Hotham and Nikolas Drew combined to toss a three-hitter as the No. 5 Cougars shut out No. 12 Ashland in a Class D North prelim game. The pair combined for one walk and six strikeouts in just five mound innings as the game ended via the mercy rule.
The Cougars (11-4) bashed 11 hits in the game, led by Cooper Drew (double, single), Caleb Giles (double, single), Rig Otero (double, single) and Blake Howes (2 singles). Nathaniel Shimkaitis, John McNally, Chase Tapley each had singles.
Baily Clark and Alex Kaiser shared pitching duties for the Hornets and combined to allow 15 runs (14 earned) on 11 hits and six walks with eight strikeouts.
Drew Doughty, Daniel Wortman and Kaiser had singles for Ashland (5-9).
Deer Isle-Stonington 6, GHCA 0 — At Hodgdon, the No. 7 Eagles of Greater Houlton Christian Academy were shut out by the No. 10 Mariners of Deer Isle-Stonington. Individual results were not available.
Penoboscot Valley 11, Hodgdon 3 — At Howland June 5, the playoff road came to an end for the Hodgdon baseball team as the No. 11 Hawks (5-10) fell to No. 6 Penobscot Valley (14-3) in a Class D North prelim.
Jonny Littlefield, Reece Carter, and Grant Kidon combine for a three hitter with 14 strikeouts as for the Howlers. Brady Harding rapped two singles and drove four runs for the winners. Bradon Blish, Brad McKechnie, and Kidon also had two hits apiece for 14-3 Penobscot Valley.
Andrew Tuttle, Josh Foster, and Wyatt Foster each singled for Hodgdon.Woodland 14, Southern Aroostook 4 — At Baileyville June 5, the No. 3 Dragons advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over the No. 14 Southern Aroostook.
Alex Morrison stroked two doubles and Gavin Gardner hit two singles for Woodland (15-2) to support winning pitcher Justin Monk, who allowed only three hits. Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook finishes with a 4-11 record.
