Pair of busy innings helps MDI take two from the Ponies
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Rain forecast for Saturday caused a scheduled date between the softball teams of Foxcroft Academy and Mount Desert Island High School to be moved up a day to April 25, with the Ponies and Trojans taking advantage of the great day for a ball game by playing two. In each contest MDI scored the bulk of the team’s runs in one inning to earn a sweep at 4-2 and then 13-6.
In the opener — which was also the first game of the season for the Trojans compared to the Ponies who entered at 2-0 — MDI put three runs on the scoreboard in the team’s very first trip to the plate in 2014. The score would remain 3-0 until the home half of the sixth.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
UP AND OUT — Foxcroft Academy junior Kelsey Savage makes the tag on MDI senior Deandra Kanu after taking the throw from sophomore catcher Avery Carroll during the second inning of the second contest of a doubleheader on the afternoon of April 25 in Dover-Foxcroft. Covering at second base is senior shortstop Emily Higgins, with junior Deseray LeBlanc looking on from center field. MDI had a sweep, winning 4-2 and 13-6.
With one out freshman Grace Bickford singled up the middle, her second hit of the day and third trip to first base as she also reached on an error. Junior Liz Richard followed with a single through the infield and into leftfield to put a pair of Ponies on base.
After a force out by MDI at third, junior Rebecca Strout got to first on a fielder’s choice, sophomore Gabie Johnson came to the plate. Johnson sent a pitch by Trojan junior Haley Littlefield up into the air where it began to fall back over the rightfield grass.
What could have been a routine flyball out was not, as the MDI rightfielder had the softball bounce off her glove and fall to the ground. Richard and Strout were both off with contact on two outs and Richard scored from second and then Strout from first before the Trojans could get the ball to the plate. In a moment Foxcroft had gone from trailing 3-0 to being down by just one run.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
HANDLE WITH CARROLL — As her teammates look on, sophomore Avery Carroll makes the catch in foul territory for the second out of the third inning of the second April 25 game vs. MDI.
MDI got one run back in the top of the seventh with sophomore Katherine Guarino collecting an RBI-single to make the game 4-2.
Littlefield and the Trojan defense then had a one, two, three inning in the bottom of the seventh to close out the opener of the doubleheader. The Ponies, who defeated regional rivals Piscataquis Community High School and Dexter Regional High School to start 2014 at 2-0 or double the win total all of the previous season, had the team’s first loss of the young season.
The second contest on the afternoon of April 25 saw both teams getting the bats going. MDI had a 2-0 advantage after three when in the bottom of the third Johnson doubled to left field to drive in Richard and put the Ponies on the scoreboard.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
LET IT SLIDE — Pony freshman third baseman Grace Bickford comes close to tagging out MDI senior Deandra Kanu during the top of the third in game one of an April 25 doubleheader as senior shortstop Emily Higgins looks on. Bickford led Foxcroft with four hits on the day, as she ended up reaching base in six of seven trips to the plate.
Similar to the first game, MDI had the majority of its runs come in a single inning. The difference was instead of tallying three of four runs in one trip to the plate, the Trojans had nine of 13 in the top of the fifth for an 11-1 advantage.
A pair of runs cut into the deficit during the following half inning. With two outs Johnson hit a single through to left field and senior Emily Higgins followed by hitting the ball over the head of her counterpart at shortstop. The table was then set for Bickford as she sent the pitch to deep left field.
Bickford’s shot fell inside the fence as MDI scrambled to relay the ball back to the infield. Johnson and Higgins both scored with ease as Bickford ran to third for a two-RBI triple. Bickford would finish the day 4-of-5 between the two games, also reaching base on an error and a fielder’s choice in her other two at-bats.
Two more runs for MDI put the team ahead at 10 again, this time 13-3, in the sixth. The team opted to bring in a new pitcher in Karli Wilson, and Foxcroft sophomore Avery Carroll began the inning by singling to center field.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
COMING HOME — Junior Liz Richard put the Ponies on the scoreboard in game two as she was driven in on sophomore Gabie Johnson’s double in the home half of the third.
The umpire ruled catcher’s interference as senior Jaymi Wood ran toward first to put two baserunners on. Carroll and Wood both later moved up a base on a wild pitch and, after a strikeout, sophomore Desirae Brawn walked to load the bases.
A flyball out put MDI one away from ending the inning but, with Johnson at the plate, a Wilson wild pitch rolled away from Trojan senior catcher Shelby O’Neil. Carroll then ran in from third and slid home before a tag could be applied.
Johnson put the ball in play but a throw to first base missed the mark. Wood and Brawn both scored on the error to make the game 13-6 as Foxcroft had doubled its run total from the start of the inning.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
GABIE BEING GRABBY — Sophomore Gabie Johnson uses two hands to make the catch in left field during the top of the sixth of the opening game.
Pony sophomore Brittany Adkins pitched all 14 innings in a pair of complete-game efforts. The day before Adkins was on the mound vs. Dexter, for 21 innings of work in a few hours over a 24-hour timeframe. She did likewise vs. PCHS in the 2014 debut on April 22, for a total of 28 innings pitched in a little more than 72 hours.
Foxcroft is scheduled to be in action next on Friday, May 2 when the team hosts John Bapst Memorial High School of Bangor (0-2 as of presstime) at 4:30 p.m.
Adkins