The Panther baseball team avoided an 0-2 start Friday in dramatic fashion.
Central Aroostook came from behind against Fort Fairfield, gaining a 10-9 victory by scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings and winning it an inning later on the strength of Mike McClung’s home run over the fence in right center field.
Derek Rusby was key in getting the game tied. His RBI single in the sixth made the score 9-7, while his two-out pop fly single his next time up tied the score.
Brendan York, who tossed shutout baseball over the final three innings, was credited with the win on the mound.
Austin Bernier had three hits and Dereck Dufour and Zach Argraves each knocked in a pair of runs on base hits for the Tigers.
The Presque Isle Wildcats were finally able to open their season Saturday with a doubleheader on the road at Mount Desert Island. PI’s first four scheduled games had all been postponed.
The ‘Cats dropped both ends of the twinbill, losing game one 6-2 and then falling short in extra innings in the nightcap, 7-6.
PI had seven hits in the opener, but ended up leaving eight men on base.
“We just could not get that clutch hit,” said PI coach Tim Olore.
Tyler Seeley, a freshman, led the offense with a triple and a single. Isaac LaJoie and Ryley Norton both had a hit and an RBI and Jonah Stephenson doubled.
Jacob Player and Evan Waddell handled the pitching duties for the ‘Cats.
In the second game, unearned runs did the Wildcats in as five of MDI’s seven runs were scored as the result of defensive miscues by PI.
“We had the game won but did not finish it,” Olore said. “You cannot give up that many unearned runs and expect to win at this level. We beat ourselves and are now going to learn from this and made corrections.”
Player had a double and a single and drove in a pair of runs for Presque Isle, while Norton singled twice and Waddell also had two hits and an RBI.
Shortstop Wilder York was a standout defensively throughout the doubleheader.
Norton and York combined on the pitching duties.
In other action, the Tigers earned their only win of the season by defeating Ashland at home last Tuesday, 11-1.
Andrew Tuck’s two-run double keyed a nine-run rally in the second inning that put the game away early.
Austin Bixler, Logan Craig and Argraves combined on a one-hitter in the game called after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Chris Norris had the lone Hornet hit.
Washburn is 0-3 after beginning the year with consecutive losses to Wisdom, East Grand and Madawaska.
