In their first playoff game, the girls softball team beat East Grand 11-0. The score makes it sound like a blowout, but it was a 2-0 game going into the bottom of the sixth inning when we exploded for nine runs to put it out of reach.
Sydney Ouzts pitched an overpowering game, giving up only one hit with 18 strikeouts and two walks. Besides the hit, there were two infield popouts and the other out was a runner thrown out stealing second.
East Grand had a good pitcher who baffled us the first few innings, as we struck out several times. We caught on after that, getting more hits, but it wasn’t until the sixth when we started to hit the ball more aggressively that with hits and errors, the flood gates opened.
Amber Jones had a double and a single for three RBIs, Abby Grindle a double and a single for two RBIs, Janelle Ciomei and Chelsea Brown each with two singles and two RBIs, Heidi Brewer two singles and an RBI, Sydney Ouzts with two singles, and Holly Brewer a single.
The girls beat Central Aroostook, 6-0, in a similar game. We didn’t score until the fourth inning, when we finally started to hit the ball. With the slow pitching, we were not patient and swung at many high pitches. We were a bit too aggressive, making three outs on three pitches in the first inning.
Sydney Ouzts continued her dominance giving up three hits with 12 strikeouts and two walks. We backed her up with no errors in the field. Catcher Abby Grindle threw out both runners who attempted to steal, not allowing any CA runners past first base.
Chelsea Brown had a double and a single for two RBIs, Abby Grindle a double for an RBI, Janelle Ciomei a single for an RBI, Sydney Ouzts two singles, and Holly Brewer, Heidi Brewer, and Amber Jones each with a single.
Our hitting has been one of our strengths, but in the games we have lost, it has been inconsistent. We have shown a weakness against the slower pitching by not being patient at bat, swinging at balls, particularly high pitches, and not making good contact.
The defense and pitching have been consistently excellent, but we will need to be more disciplined at the plate if we are to continue our dominance. If we allow teams to stay close, we open the door to mistakes being more costly.
Girls on to state finals
The girls won the Eastern Maine finals by beating Ashland, 28-2, on a rainy, sloppy field June 14. We scored 20 runs in the first inning to put it out of reach with 10 hits and 10 walks. We will play in the state finals on Saturday, June 18, at 3 p.m. at St Joseph’s College in Standish.
Baseball loss
The boys baseball team lost a disappointing game to Southern Aroostook 11-2. We got off to a good start with Joe Condon smashing a huge home run in the first inning to give us a 1-0 lead, but it was all downhill from there.
Joe Condon started pitching, and the inning began with a dropped third strike who beat the throw to first, a hit and an error and a couple of hits, several walks. Sam Grindle came in to relieve him, and though he only gave up two hits in three and two-thirds innings, one of them was a triple to clear the bases before the first inning ended.
It was all SA needed to keep us at bay. Connor Morey came into pitch an inning and Hayden Ciomei pitched the last inning. Being a young team, this was too big a hole to climb out of. We feed off our offense and it just wasn’t there.
Coach Darren Eaton felt that this was a lost opportunity, but we knew we had shortcomings and they caught up to us right off the bat. Coach Eaton has felt all season that we have the talent to play with anybody and hopes that this will be learning experience for the returning players to succeed next year.
Other than Joe Condon’s home run, Sam Grindle, Oliver Lawson, Connor Morey, Hayden Ciomei, and Kyle Seile each had singles. We just couldn’t string anything together to bring in more runs.
