MADAWASKA, Maine — A showdown between the Madawaska and Fort Fairfield baseball teams ended early on Thursday May 28, when the Owls rolled to a 16-0 victory in five innings.
The home team faced a much younger Fort Fairfield crew — just four of the 12-person roster had played high school ball before this season. Some had never played baseball before at all, head coach John Ala said.
It was a strong showing for the Madawaska team, which saw all of its players score before the end of the fourth. The team was led by shortstop Ian Beaulieu, who put up three runs and reached home plate once on a wild pitch.
Robbie Lausier pitched all five innings for the Owls, while the Tigers started Bryce Martin, but saw relief performances from two other players.
Despite the lopsided score, energy was high on the young Fort Fairfield team — the players and coaches cheerfully calling from the dugout, egging their teammates on and inventing new nicknames for each other. Centerfielder Micah Daigle left the game with the alias “legs,” a reference to several impressive grabs he made from the outfield during the game.
“These guys have been keeping their heads up and supporting each other really well,” Ala said. “I think that’s going to be something that will help our growth process.”
Meanwhile, the Owls, who land in the middle of the standings as the league approaches the playoffs, are hoping recent strong performances — Wednesday they won another shutout against Ashland — will translate into a winning postseason run. Their mid-ranking, however, means the Owls may not get a home playoff game.
“We’ll go wherever we have to go and try to play them tough,” Madawaska head coach Michael Taggett said. “We’ll take it one game at a time and see how it goes.”
MADAWASKA, Maine — May 27, 2021 — Fort Fairfield’s starting pitcher, Bryce Martin darts up the first base line during Thursday’s game versus Madawaska. (Hannah Catlin | St. John Valley Times)
