CARIBOU, Maine — In Alex Levesque’s mind, he had just walked to drive in the first run of the game.
He began running toward first base before the umpire informed Levesque that it was only ball three. On the next pitch, Levesque drilled a fastball over the fence in left-center field. The grand slam home run, which came with two outs in the top of the third inning, plated teammates Landyn Waldemarson, Jaden Picard and Dylan St. Pierre and provided all the runs Caribou scored in a 4-1 victory over Madawaska on Wednesday, July 26 at the Robert P. White Field.
Madawaska was the runner-up in the NMCRA 10-12 year-old baseball championship tournament, played July 24 and 26 in Caribou. Team members are, in front from left, Nick Poitras, Alex Hassell, Ethan Hassell and Isaac Beaulieu, Matthew Beaulieu. Back row, coach Craig Gendreau, Andre Theriault, Sam Defresne, Carsen Cyr, Ian Beaulieu, Robbie Poiesz, Damyn Hebert and assistant coach Tristan Cyr.
(Contributed photo)
As a result, Caribou picked up the championship in the Northern Maine Community Recreation Association baseball tournament for 10-12 year-olds.
Levesque also handled the pitching chores for Caribou and was brilliant. He struck out 14 batters and allowed only one hit. He walked six batters and hit another.
Outside of the third inning, when he allowed three walks to load the bases before Levesque took it out of the park, Madawaska’s Ian Beaulieu was impressive on the mound. He finished with 15 strikeouts in the complete-game performance, walking seven and allowing a total of three hits.
Madawaska scored its lone run in the third inning as Beaulieu walked and advanced all the way around the bases on wild pitches. Sam Dufresne singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth for Madawaska’s only hit off Levesque.
Landon Tracy and Levesque each doubled for Caribou, which had advanced to the finals by beating Presque Isle, 14-13, and Mapleton, 16-5, during July 24 quarterfinal and semifinal contests.
Madawaska had recorded a 14-3 victory over Ashland in the first round and a 24-10 triumph over Mars Hill in the semis. Mapleton had beaten Fort Fairfield in the quarterfinals by a score of 10-3.
