The Caribou varsity baseball team bounced back from being swept by Old Town April 25 with a 14-4 win over Houlton at home last Wednesday that was shortened to six innings due to the 10-run rule.
The Vikings unleashed a 12-hit attack, led by Sean Sadler’s three hits. He also scored three runs and knocked in three.
Dustin Bouchard, Matt Milliard and Matt Curry contributed two hits apiece, with Bouchard scoring three times and Milliard and Curry each driving in a pair of runs. Mason Huck added a two-run single for the winners.
Shane Landeen and Tyler Dombroski split the pitching duties, with Landeen going the first three innings and Dombroski the final three. Neither surrendered an earned run during their stints.
On April 25, the Vikings were swept by the Coyotes by scores of 3-1 and 4-1. In the first one, Sadler doubled in a run for one of the six Caribou hits against Old Town starter Eric Hoogterp, who struck out 10 while going the distance. Curry was the hard-luck loser, surrending four hits and giving up just two earned runs in his six innings of work.
Game two once again saw Sadler drive in his team’s only run as the Vikings managed just three hits off Coyote starter Adam Richardson. Michael Hunter and Huck had Caribou’s other hits. Brayden Burby went five strong innings for the Vikes, but suffered the loss. Dylan Berkoski came on in relief and pitched the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Viking softball team was also victorious over the Shires that same afternoon. Despite trailing 8-0 early, Caribou battled back and scored twice in the bottom of the seventh for the dramatic win.
Freshman Rachel Soucy ripped an inside-the-park home run over the right fielder’s head with one out to drive in Morgan Outing, who had walked, and provide the tying and winning runs.
“Staying composed really seemed to help,” said Viking coach Ryan Deprey. “We got down early, but scored six runs in the bottom of the second to make it competitive.
“In a year with so many new players, we’ve been struggling with finding an identity and figuring out who we are as a team, so a win like that is just what this team needed for its confidence,” Deprey added.
Caribou dropped a pair of games at Old Town April 25 by scores of 16-2 and 13-1. Both games went just five innings due to the 12-run rule. Morgan Outing and Megan Thornton had Caribou’s hits in the opener, while Jenna Boucher joined Thornton and Outing in collecting singles in the game two loss.
The Limestone/MSSM softball Eagles improved to 3-0 under first-year coach Andrew Kirby following victories over Wisdom and Central Aroostook last week. The Eagles were hoping to make it four in a row to begin the season as they hosted Madawaska Tuesday.
The Eagles beat Wisdom last Tuesday and Central Aroostook the following afternoon, with both games needing just five innings to be decided due to the 12-run rule.
In the home win over the St. Agatha-based Pioneers, the Eagles used a 10-run second inning to pull away early. Limestone was led by senior pitcher Melissa Cantafio, who struck out eight batters in her five innings of work. On offense, the team was paced by Jackie Peers, who went 4 for 4 with three singles, three RBI and nine stolen bases. Chelsey Pelkey and Kassee Albert each had three hits and three RBI.
Wisdom’s Tyra Michaud went 3 for 3 and scored twice.
At Mars Hill, Pelkey led the offense with a triple, a double and a single and five RBI to power the Eagles past the Panthers.
Annie Sinclair added two singles and drove in four runs while Jordyn Hopkins had three singles and two RBI.
Central Aroostook’s Karli Levesque had two singles and two RBI.
The Eagle baseball team took its opener behind the pitching of Chris Bernier, who struck out 14 Pioneer batters in a 7-0 complete-game victory. Bernier, along with Tristan Kirk and Dylan Nadeau, paced the Eagle offense with two hits apiece. On the mound for Wisdom, Nate Boynton threw six innings, surrendering seven runs on nine hits.
In other local contests, the Fort Fairfield girls came away with three victories in as many tries. The Tigers beat Washburn, 16-11; stopped Wisdom, 11-3 and trounced Madawaska, 15-5. Jordann Coiley had the pitching victories in each contest.
The Washburn softball team won its other game, besting Hodgdon, 25-14.
The FF baseball team is 2-1, with both wins coming in extra innings at home. Jon Bernard drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in a 6-5 victory over Madawaska last Tuesday. On Monday, Dalton Cassidy had the game-winning hit in the eighth as FF beat Wisdom, 9-8.
The Tigers only loss came Friday at home against Washburn. The Beavers scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie and send them to an 8-3 triumph.
Alex Pelletier got the win on the mound and joined Parker Thompson in leading the offense with two hits each. Washburn also beat Hodgdon last Tuesday, 3-2, and took a 2-0 mark into its home game against Ashland Tuesday.
