Cougars nip Panthers in eight
Staff Writer
Central Aroostook made centerfielder Brianne Hartin an extra infielder, in hopes of cutting down the winning run at the plate, during last Wednesday’s Eastern Maine quarterfinal game in Stacyville. However, Katahdin’s Myah Smallwood helped the No. 4 Lady Cougars escape the No. 5 Panthers in eight innings, 9-8.
PAIGE FLETCHER, Central Aroostook’s third baseman, puts the tag on a sliding Katahdin player, but it was too late for the out and the Lady Cougars advanced to the EM semifinals with an extra-inning 9-8 victory last Wednesday.
“I was hoping we would at least stay competitive,” said CAHS coach Rodney Codrey of his matchup with the Lady Cougars. “We’ve been in the playoffs, but we haven’t played this caliber of softball team. I thought we did an excellent job.
“We played well with minimal errors and they hit the ball pretty well with people in scoring position,” he added.
The Panthers had broke the 7-all tie in the top of the eighth when Paige Fletcher ripped the ball down the third baseline. She advanced on a fielder’s choice and came home on Kristen Long’s double into the gap in center field.
In the bottom of the frame, Katahdin went to work with Bailey McNally sending a single to center field on a close play, which Hartin came up throwing and nearly got McNally out at first. Olivia McNally put down a sacrifice bunt and then Melissa Duffy laid down a bunt single to move McNally into scoring position.
Kali Rush singled in McNally for the tying run, forcing Codrey to make the defensive adjustment.
“If they would have popped it to the outfield, the run would have scored anyway,” he said. “What I was trying to do … was hoping … that they would hit in the infield and [we could] bring it home and have the run cut off at the plate.”
Smallwood then slapped the ball to the open field to score the game-winning run.
“That was a good game,” said Katahdin coach Terry Duffy. “Central played real well and we played well to come back. We were fortunate to win. They gave us all we wanted.
“We did almost the same thing to them that Southern Aroostook did to us,” he added. “Central played well defensively and hit the ball well too.”
The Lady Cougars took an early 1-0 lead after Duffy walked and scored on Makayla Patterson’s hit to left field.
In the top of the second, errors plagued Katahdin and the Panthers capitalized with three runs.
Vicki McIntyre beat out an infield grounder and Paige Garrison reached on an infield throwing error to second, advancing McIntyre. Garrison promptly stole second putting runners at second and third. Then, the Hartin twins drew back-to-back walks, which led to forcing in McIntyre from third.
After a strikeout, Paige Fletcher’s shot to third base was misplayed, scoring Garrison, but turned into an out as Duffy wisely backed up the play and snagged the ball to force out Chelsea Hartin. Michaela King reached on an infield error that led to CAHS’ final run of the inning.
The Lady Cougars tied the game with two outs as Dani-Beth Cyr doubled to left scoring Rush, who had reached on an infield error and stole second. Smallwood brought in Cyr on a hard hit, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch out the hit. Patterson doubled, but was left stranded.
The fifth inning saw the Lady Panthers take a one-run lead, 6-5.
In the top of the frame, after two outs, Rachael Grew walked and stole second on a passed ball. Long poked the ball to the middle of the infield, reaching on an error to score Grew. McIntyre then belted a base hit to center to knock in Long. McIntyre stole second on a passed ball and then scored when Paige Garrison’s hit to the right side was misplayed.
Katahdin came back to within a run after Duffy bunt singled to start the inning. Rush reached on yet another error and both girls moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Cyr’s infield hit scored Duffy and advanced Rush, who scored on Smallwood’s liner down the third baseline.
The Panthers picked up another run in the sixth when B. Hartin scored on a passed ball. Katahdin responded by tying the game, 7-all, after O. McNally singled and scored on Duffy’s hit to left field. Rush singled in the inning, with Duffy scoring on a balk.
With the development of McIntyre on the mound to support Long, Codrey is optimistic for next year.
“Kristen is really an unsung hero. I picked her out one day and said, ‘You are going to pitch.’ If I can get McIntyre around the plate, we are going to be real competitive.”
