Early lead helps Penobscot Valley come away with win over the Pirates

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

GUILFORD — When Class C North Piscataquis Community High School and Class D North Penobscot Valley High School of Howland met in an inter-class contest in late April, the visiting Pirates earned a 15-11 victory. The rematch on May 13 was also decided by four runs, but instead of the two teams combining for 26 runs the squads only touched the plate eight times.

Observer photos/Stuart Hedstrom

AND THE CALL IS … — PCHS senior Courtney Deane tags Penobscot Valley sophomore Ariel Rosario at the plate during the top of the first inning of a May 13 game in Guilford — the umpire called Rosario out to end the inning. The play came right after freshman Hope Adkins caught a pop fly in rightfield and then threw to Delani Bennett at first, as Bennett relayed the throw to Deane with Rosario tagging up at third in an attempt to score. The visiting Howlers won 6-2.

The Howlers (6-1) scored three times in the first to gain an early advantage and the team avenged its sole loss of the season by defeating PCHS 6-2. The Pirates fell to 4-6, having dropped four straight.

Back-to-back hits resulted in three RBIs for Penobscot Valley in the top of the first. With one out and a runner at third, the Howlers threatened to add to the team’s 3-0 advantage.

Penobscot Valley senior Amy Hallett redirected a pitch from PCHS junior Jewel Lamb to rightfield where Pirate freshman Hope Adkins made the catch. Howler sophomore Ariel Rosario, who was serving as a courtesy runner on the base paths, then tagged up at the bag once the ball met leather on the other side of the field. Adkins quickly threw to senior Delani Bennett at first and Bennett relayed the throw to senior Courtney Deane behind the plate.

The PCHS catcher had the ball firmly in her grasp as she made the tag on Rosario as the base runner slid across the dirt moistened by light showers and into home plate. The play was close as Deane and Rosario looked to the umpire in the hope the call would be made in their respective favors. Deane got the ruling she hoped for as Rosario was called out to end the inning.

With one out in the bottom of the third, PCHS sophomore and leadoff hitter Erin Speed sent the softball to the leftfield fence. Speed lived up to her surname by turning at second and getting to third base safely for the triple. Speed would finish with a game-high three hits, going 3-for-4 at the plate.

Two batters later senior Jordynne Littlefield dropped a single into leftfield to drive Speed in and put PCHS on the scoreboard at 3-1.

Penobscot Valley scored two more runs in the fourth on a single by freshman Erynn William, making the score 5-1, but in the bottom of the fifth the Pirates got a run back. With two outs, Littlefield tripled to leftfield. Bennett was then hit by a pitch from Penobscot Valley senior Arianna McKinnon to put runners at the corners.

Bennett took off for second and the Howlers opted to try make a play at the base. With the throw going from behind the plate to the opposite corner of the diamond, Littlefield ran home from third for run No. 2 . Bennett ended up stealing the base as the Howlers failed to get the out and prevent the runner from scoring.

Penobscot Valley would add a run in the seventh, with senior Malloree Workman scoring from third on a wild pitch, to conclude the day’s scoring at 6-2.

Lamb pitched a complete game for the Pirates. She scattered six hits and four walks across the seven innings of work, and striking out five batters.

PCHS is scheduled to play next on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. when the team travels to neighboring rival Dexter Regional High School (6-2) as of presstime) in the first of two meetings between the Pirates and the Tigers.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

TURN TO THIRD — Senior Jordynne Littlefield rounds second base for a triple in the fifth inning. Soon after Littlefield would score the Pirates’ second run.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

JEWEL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DIAMOND — Junior pitcher Jewel Lamb gets ready to unleash a pitch from her windup as freshman Rachel Beckwith is ready at second.

SOFTBALL
Penobscot 6, PCHS 2

PEN  300 200 1 |  6
PCHS  001 010 0 |  2

Penobscot (6-2): Workman 
2-3 BB two RBI run.

PCHS (4-6): Speed 3-4 3B
run SB; Littlefield 2-4 3B
RBI run.

WP — A. McKinnon 7 IP
2 runs 7 hits 1 BB 6 K.

LP — Lamb 7 IP 6 runs
6 hits 4 BB 5 K.