The Houlton Farms Dairy team captured the Majors title of the Houlton Little League last Friday night with a come-from-behind win over Rotary Club, 6-5.
Starting pitchers for Houlton Farms and Rotary Club were evenly matched leading to a climatic finish to the game. Cameron Callnan of Houlton Farms Dairy pitched a complete game for the win, allowing seven hits, walking three and striking out six. On the other side, Rotary’s Will Austin pitched four and 2/3 innings, scattering eight hits, while striking out eight and walking none.
In the first inning, Houlton Farms Dairy broke into the scoring column when Keegan Gentle tagged a two-run homer.
Rotary answered back in the bottom frame with four runs, including an RBI-single by Austin and a two-run double off Devon Campbell’s bat and another RBI-single from Jed Gilpatrick for a two-run lead.
In the second, Houlton Farms Dairy knotted the score on a run-scoring double by Hunter Sennett and an RBI-single by Collin Moody.
Each team went down silent in the third, but in the fourth, Rotary took a one-run advantage when Silas Graham drew a walk, Logan Tribou singled, and Graham scored on a pop-up to third, which Gentle for HFD made an unbelievable sliding catch at the fence down the line.
Then, Dave Tucker of Houlton Farms Dairy roped a double to tie the game at 5-all. In an intense game for the youngsters, Houlton Farms Dairy scratched out the winning run, capitalizing on Rotary fielding miscues.
Playing for Houlton Farms Dairy were: Callnan, Gentle, Moody, Tucker, Jaron Gentle, Eli Bulley, Hunter Sennett, Alex Wilde, Isaiah Gentle, Jadon Gentle and Brock Thompson. Coaches were Trapper Gentle, Dave Tucker and Travis Gentle.
The Rotary Club lineup included: Austin, Tribou, Graham, Gilpatrick, Campbell, Derek Brown, Austin Winslow, Nolan Hodgkins, Drew Foley, Jeremy Stone and Joel Carmichael. Absent the night of the championship were team members William Prescott and Tyler Connors. Coaches were Montie Graham, Gloria Austin and Rob Foley.
