County softball teams
count on strong offense for success
By Kevin Sjoberg
The Limestone-MSSM, Central Aroostook and Ashland softball teams will all get their “second seasons” under way as the quarterfinal round of the Eastern Maine Class D playoffs begin this week.
The Eagles are the top seed in the division with their 13-3 record. Coach Ryan O’Neal’s squad has been an offensive juggernaut throughout the campaign, averaging just over 18 runs per contest. The team had only three games where they scored less than 13 runs.
The team ended its season last Tuesday with a 17-9 victory at Madawaska. In the game, Chelsea Leighton spearheaded a 13-hit attack with three singles and three RBIs, with Daniele Pelkey also contributing three hits and Ashlyn Kelly two with a pair of RBIs. The Eagles actually trailed 8-2 before coming back in the later innings.
Limestone-MSSM’s first-round opponent will be Wisdom on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Limestone. The eighth-ranked Pioneers feature strong pitching, but when the two teams met for the only time during the regular season on May 23, the Eagles came away with a 13-4 victory.
jMavor Photography photo
TO THE PLATE — Central Aroostook’s Kristen Long fires in a pitch during last Wednesday’s game in Fort Fairfield. The Panthers blanked the Tigers, 15-0, and head into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed. The team hosts Shead this afternoon at 3 p.m. in the quarterfinals.
The Central Aroostook Panthers are another team that has the ability to score plenty of runs. CA is ranked third with its 14-2 record. Coached by Ryan Guerrette, in his first year at the post, the Panthers averaged 20.7 runs per game and only once scored less than 10 runs (a 10-8 loss to Ashland May 17).
The Panthers beat the Hornets in a rematch last Tuesday, 16-14. Paige Garrison’s three-run triple in the fourth inning gave CA the lead and they were able to hold on. Michaela King had three hits and scored three times and Page Fletcher had two hits and two RBIs for the Panthers.
Rachel Gillis and Gabi Cyr led Ashland with two singles and three RBIs each. Shea Craig also had two hits and an RBI.
Last Wednesday, the team blanked Fort Fairfield in both teams’ regular season finale, 15-0. Kristen Long drove in four runs on a pair of singles, while also tossing a complete-game, two-hit shutout. Garrison had two hits and three RBIs and King added a pair of singles for the winners.
Alyssa Dougherty had both hits for the Tigers.
Central Aroostook takes on Shead in this afternoon’s quarterfinal game which begins at 3 p.m. in Mars Hill.
The Ashland Hornets, at 8-6, also earned a post-season berth. The team is ranked fifth and will make the trip to Dyer Brook to meet up against Southern Aroostook Thursday. Game time is 2:45 p.m.
When the two teams met during the regular season, SA won in Ashland on May 3, 8-6, but the Hornets rebounded on May 19 with a 14-10 road victory.
In addition to the loss to CA, Ashland also played Katahdin last Tuesday and won that one, 17-5. Whitney Donovan had a double and a single and drove in four runs for the Hornets, who scored six times in the top of the first to take control early. Craig chipped in with a pair of singles for Ashland. Donovan went the distance for the pitching win.
Also in regular season play, Washburn fell in a home game to East Grand, 18-12. Makayla Ronco had three hits and five RBIs and Carmen Bragg had two hits in the loss. The Beavers went 2-13 and finished 12th in the standings. Their only wins came against playoff teams Limestone-MSSM and Wisdom.
Dave Allen Graphics photo
PRESQUE ISLE’S LIZA BUCK takes a late throw at first base during Thursday’s 8-0 home loss to Caribou.
Presque Isle and Caribou met in a regular-season clincher Thursday in PI, with the Vikes shutting out the Wildcats 8-0 behind a two-hitter by junior ace pitcher Emily Staples.
Staples struck out eight and walked only one in the complete-game performance.
Kristin Plante and Rebecca McDougal had three hits each to lead Caribou’s 16-hit attack.
Alecia Palmer and Karlee Bernier had the lone hits for Presque Isle, which finished with a 3-13 record.
Caribou (9-7) grabbed the eighth seed in Eastern Maine Class B and hosted Belfast in a preliminary playoff contest yesterday afternoon at CHS. The winner will take on No. 1 Medomak Valley in Waldoboro in Thursday’s quarterfinal round.
