The Houlton Area Little League 11-12-year-old all-star team was eliminated from the double-elimination District 3 Little League Tournament on July 2.
The Houlton 11-12-year-olds hosted Holbrook, but in the third inning, Holbrook pulled away to take the win.
Holbrook took a 2-0 lead after the top of the first with two outs. Holbrook’s Jake Tyler led off with a base hit and Kolby Brooks reached base on an error to bring in Tyler. Brooks scored off a base hit by Hunter Kimball.
With one out, the Houlton all-stars came back when Elijah Matheson doubled and scored off Drew Foley’s base hit.
Neither team scored in the second, but in the third, Holbrook bats came alive and they capitalized on Houlton fielding miscues, as well, bringing in five runs for a 7-1 lead.
In the bottom of the frame, Matheson reached base on a fielding error and was driven in on Jeremiah Ireland’s single. A base running error ended the inning for Houlton.
Ireland struggled from the mound in the fourth, as Holbrook connected for four more runs. Matheson relieved Ireland and allowed Holbrook just one run in the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth Holbrook’s Adam Hoxie started the fourth by flashing leather. Hoxie made an outstanding defensive play when an extremely hard-hit line drive from Sebastian Torrey’s bat rocketed back at him, straight up the middle. Hoxie would go on to strike out the next two batters, ending the game via the run rule 12-2.
Houlton’s Ireland threw 78 pitches in three and one-third innings followed by Matheson’s 23 pitches in relief.
Holbrook’s Hoxie pitched strong, finishing the four innings with 48 pitches.
On June 30, the Houlton 11-12 all-stars traveled to Bangor to play Bangor West, which ended the game after four innings by a score of 18-0. Justin Cook made an extremely good defensive play, robbing a Bangor West batter a hit. The ball was hit over Cook’s head, but he turned and tracked down the ball and made the snag on a hard hit.
Ireland and Austin Winslow both singled in the game.
Playing for the team were: Ireland, Winslow, Torrey, Foley, Matheson, Cook, Cayden Campbell, Caden Shaw, Nate Tuttle, Caleb Tuttle, Kye Flewelling and Devin Folsom.
