The Houlton Rotary team captured the Houlton Area Little League Majors Division title over Houlton Farms Dairy, 15-1, last Wednesday night at the Machias Savings Bank Field.
Rotary had overpowered their competition during the regular season, as they came away with an undefeated season.
Members of Rotary are: Drew Foley, Jed Gilpatrick, Silas Graham, Austin Winslow, Nolan Hodgkins, Braden Dow, Justin Cook, Logan Tapley, Cody Johnston, Devon Folsom, Sebastian Torrey and Nick Green. The team is coached by Montie Graham and assisted by Seth Hodgkins and Andrew Tapley.
Playing for Houlton Farms Dairy are: Brock Thompson Collin Moody Isaiah Gentle Jadon Gentle Garret Harvey Jay Tuck, Damien Suitter, Gage Bartlett, Aiden Hanks, Caden Shaw, Kaden Neureuther and Joey Anderson. The team is coached by P.J. Harvey and Chad Thompson.
In the town championship game, Rotary scored early, plating four runs in the top of the first inning as Gilpatrick led off the inning, reaching base on a fielding miscue. Hodgkins followed with an RBI-double, while Graham tripled in Hodgkins and Winslow singled in Graham and then came home on a wild pitch.
In the top of the second, with one out, Rotary scored another run when Hodgkins kissed one over the fence — his first ever Little League homerun.
In the bottom of the inning, Houlton Farms Dairy loaded the bases, as Harvey opened with a single and moved up to third base on passed balls. With two outs, Suitter and Neureuther each drew a walk. However, the runners were stranded.
Houlton Farms Dairy held Rotary scoreless in the third, setting the batters down in order. In their half of the inning, Isaiah Gentle walked and stole second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on Moody’s single that was misplayed allowing Moody to take second. Gentle then scored on passed ball, with Moody left on base.
Leading 5-1, Rotary erupted for 10 runs in the top of the fourth, as Gilpatrick singled and Hodgkins drew a walk and both runners scored on Graham’s single. After four straight walks, Gilpatrick came to the plate for the second time in the inning and belted a two-run double. Hodgkins came to bat and delivered a run-scoring double and Folsom finished the inning by bringing in a run on a single.
Graham threw a one-hitter over three and two-thirds innings, striking out eight. Hodgkins came on in relief, striking out one.
For Houlton Farms Dairy, Harvey threw three innings, giving up five runs, while Thompson and Gentle combined off the mound in the fourth.
