Results of games played through May 20: VFW 12, Shop ’n Save 7; North Stars 13, Key Bank 5; Sleepers 19, Woodland Tigers 0; S.W. Collins 16, Shop ’n Save 0; Savings Bank of Maine 19, Woodland Eagles 1; VFW 12, Police 11; K of C 8, Sleepers 4; S. W. Collins 2, Savings Bank of Maine 0; Police 16, Woodland Eagles 7; Shop ’n Save 15, VFW 5.
Contributed photo/Lisa Milliard
Danielle Violette was the recipient of the Peter Ouellette Scholarship, which was presented by Bob White during Little League opening ceremonies held May 5. Violette played for Caribou VFW during her Little League days and now competes on the CHS varsity softball team.
Standings as of May 20: American Division: K of C (1-0), North Stars (1-0), Sleepers (1-1), Key Bank (0-1), Woodland Tigers (0-1). National Division: S. W. Collins (2-0), VFW (2-1), Police (1-1), Savings Bank of Maine (1-1), Shop ’n Save (1-2), Woodland Eagles (0-2).
Schedule for May 25-31: Wednesday, May 25: Key Bank at K of C, VFW at S. W. Collins; Thursday, May 26: Savings Bank of Maine at Shop ’n Save, North Stars at Sleepers; May 27: Woodland Eagles at VFW, S. W. Collins at Police and K of C at Woodland Tigers; Monday, May 30: no games (Memorial Day parade); Tuesday, May 31: Woodland Tigers at K of C, North Stars at Key Bank. (All games begin at 6 p.m.)
Summaries of recently-played games are as follows:
Savings Bank of Maine 19, Woodland Eagles 1
SBM won the May 17 contest behind home runs off the bats of Jacob Burby and Caleb Willett and three triples and a double from Spencer St. Peter.
The winners pounded out 17 hits in the game and had their best scoring rallies in the second, third and fourth innings by scoring 17 of their runs.
Willett, Burby and Sebastian Marquis went two innings apiece and combined for 17 strikeouts while allowing one hit – a Hunter Milliard single in the bottom of the sixth to score Callie McBreairty for the Eagles’ lone run.
Wyatt Taggett of the Eagles had four putouts at first base in his first Little League game.
North Stars 13, Key Bank 5
Pitcher Devin Chamberland struck out five batters over five innings to lead the North Stars to the win in their season debut. He benefited from solid defense by his teammates throughout the game.
Josh Quist caught the entire game and sparked the Northstars’ offense by driving in four runs with a single, double and a triple. Kennith Thompson doubled and scored a run. Austin Findlen stole two bases, singled to drive in a run while providing excellent defense in center field. Noah Hixon singled to drive in a run, stole two bases and scored three times. Alex Bouchard singled and demonstrated his defensive skills at first base.
With two outs in the second inning, Emily Adler laid down a perfect bunt which allowed the North Stars to score four more runs with Hixon and Chamberland both walking and Quist ripping a double. Kendra Furber had a key catch at second base late in the sixth inning. From the pitcher’s mound, Hixon had a great defensive play to throw out the hard hitting and fast running Austin Scott at first to end the game.
Contributed photo/Lisa Milliard
Royce Landeen was the recipient of the Caribou Little League Scholarship, which was presented by Bob White during the May 5 Little League opening ceremonies. Landeen played on the North Stars and now is a member of the Caribou varsity baseball team.
For Key Bank, Austin Scott pitched and led the offense with a double and a home run over the center field fence. Noah Frost, who also pitched, singled, stole a base and hit an inside-the-park home run deep to right field.
Frost, Scott, and Seth Beidelman combined to strike out 11 North Star batters. Casey McCrossin did a fine job catching the entire game. He also singled, doubled and scored a run. Jacob Soucy slammed a double while Noah Rosado, Seth Beidelman and Ricky Bossie each had a single in the losing effort.
SW Collins 16, Shop n Save 0
Defying gravity once again, the Wright brothers help lift their teammates of S. W. Collins to a solid shutout victory in their 2011 season debut against National League rival Shop ’n Save May 17. Despite the wet fields, both teams settled in nicely and it was a great night for “America’s pasttime.”
The older brother, Zach Wright, took the mound first for Collins – pitching the first two innings and collecting five strikeouts, allowing just one hit and walking two. Lefty Tyler Wright followed in his brothers cleat prints and got the win – taking on the next three innings and allowing no runs, striking out four batters and walking five. Gabe Massey collected the save pitching in relief. Massey threw only 10 pitches – all strikes – and struck out the side.
Shop n’ Save used four total pitchers against the Collins team. Fourth-year player Ben Ezzy started strong for the blue and red. Ezzy forced two fly outs and got Collins’ clean up hitter to hit into a fielder’s choice to retire Collins quickly in the first inning. Also pitching for Shop ’n Save were Trey Taylor, Caleb Brown and Alex Ezzy.
Ezzy tried to help his team’s cause by going 2 for 2 at the plate. Some great fielding plays from Taylor and Kerrigan Manter always kept Shop ’n Save feeling very much alive in the game.
For Collins, all initial starters scored at least one run. Leadoff hitter Donovan Savage went 1 for 2 with two walks and two runs while cleanup Zach Wright had a big night – going 2 for 2 with a walk and gathering three runs and five RBIs. Massey went 1 for 4, scoring a run and knocking in a run to help lead the Collins team to victory.
Some patient at bats for first-year players Zach Gerakaris, Sydney Thompson and Dagan Savage allowed them to reach base – each drawing walks. Third year player Andrew Geer played solid at first base to help anchor the Collins infield – including a nice solo putout in the fifth inning.