ORRINGTON, Maine — Hopes of competing for the state championship were dashed Monday for the Houlton Little League 11-12 All-Stars as the team was eliminated from the playoffs.
Houlton (0-2 in state play) mounted a valiant comeback against Lewiston Monday evening but came up just short, losing 6-5 in a game played at Orrington. The loss knocked Houlton out of the double-elimination state tournament.
The team squad is believed to be just the third Houlton squad to ever compete in a state Little League tournament. In 2009, Houlton competed in the 9-10 state tourney, and before that, it was back in 1976 that Houlton qualified for the 11-12 state tourney.
Members of this year’s Houlton 11- to 12-year-old All-Star baseball team in the District 3 Little League Tournament include Kurtis Reynolds, Collin Moody, Jed Gilpatrick, Cody Johnston, Caleb Tuttle, Logan Tapley, Silas Graham, Braden Dow, Garrett Harvey, Brock Thompson, Haven Hanning and Nolan Hodgkins. The manager is Montie Graham with assistant coaches Chad Thompson and P.J. Harvey.
In Monday’s game, Lewiston led 6-3 in the sixth inning, when Houlton tried to wage a last-ditch comeback. The local squad plated two runs to cut the lead to 6-5 and actually had the go-ahead runs on base when the game ended.
“We battled the whole day getting back in the game, but unfortunately in the end a couple miscues in the field really cost us,” coach Graham said. “I am really proud of this group of kids and all they have accomplished this season.
Moody pitched five solid innings for Houlton, mixing in a nice curveball to keep the Lewiston hitters off balance, the coach said. Silas Graham pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Errors proved costly for Houlton, as Lewiston was able to plate four unearned runs.
In the bottom of the first, Lewiston scored a run without a hit off a Houlton miscue and two groundouts to the infield. Lewiston plated three more runs in the second, as errors, combined with a two-out double by Landon Coy, made the score 4-0.
Houlton got three runs back in the top of the third inning, cutting the lead to 4-3 as Moody singled, Gilpatrick walked and Graham belted a three-run home run.
Lewiston padded its lead in the bottom of the inning, on a double by Mike Dymkowski and singles from Noah Hill and Kameron Caron to make it 6-3.
Houlton scored twice in the top of the sixth inning as Hanning doubled, followed by an RBI single from Moody and RBI double from Graham.
“If we can keep this group together playing I still think the best is yet to come,” he said. “They put a lot of time into practicing and playing in tournaments and that is what it takes to be able to compete with these leagues that are 10-15 times the size in terms on kids to choose from as we are.”
In Sunday’s game, Houlton fell, 6-1, to defending state-champ Biddeford. Garrett Harvey pitched the complete game for Houlton giving up five earned runs on seven hits, with two strikeouts.
Biddeford scored two runs in the top of the first inning on a two-out bloop single followed by a two-run home run by Kyle Dion. Biddeford scored two more runs in the top of the third on a single by Ashton Carwell and a sacrifice fly.
Houlton cut the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third on a single by Hodgkins, followed by an RBI double by Graham.
Leading the way for Houlton were: Graham, two doubles and a walk; and one single each for Moody, Gilpatrick and Hodgkins.
