Ponies’ Beaudry no-hits Ellsworth

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Foxcroft Academy sophomore right-hander Makenzie Beaudry admitted that rain can cause problems for her.

But Beaudry overcame a brief rain delay to toss a no-hitter and senior second baseman Abbi Bourget scored the winning run on an error in the seventh inning as the Ponies edged Ellsworth 3-2 on May 10 in a Class B North softball game.

Foxcroft Academy improved to 6-2 while Ellsworth fell to 4-3.

The hard-throwing Beaudry struck out 11 and walked eight while throwing 136 pitches, 76 for strikes. She went to six full counts.

It wasn’t her first career no-hitter. She said she pitched two last season.

She pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the second by striking out the side after she had walked the first three hitters on 13 pitches. She was one pitch away from forcing in a run with one out when she went to a 3-0 but she battled back to produce three straight strikes, including a swinging strike three, and then she ended the threat by getting the final hitter on a called third strike.

A heavy shower in the top of the second delayed the game for approximately 10 minutes.

“Rain really messes me up sometimes but I got through it,” said Beaudry. “I threw all right today. My team really helped me.”

“She hit her spots. She had a good game,” said Ellsworth senior leadoff hitter and second baseman Leah Stevens.

“Kenzie had a great day in tough conditions,” said first-year Ponies head coach Stephanie Smith.

Ellsworth sophomore right-hander Mackenzie Chipman also pitched a gem. All three runs off her were unearned.

She allowed five hits with four strikeouts and three walks. She threw 98 pitches, 62 for strikes.

“(Chipman) pitched a phenomenal game,” said Ellsworth coach Dottie Cameron.

The Ponies won it without hitting the ball out of the infield in the seventh.

Abbi Bourget beat out a bunt single back to the mound and twin sister Alli Bourget sacrificed her to second.

Beaudry hit a grounder to shortstop that was bobbled and thrown late to first. Abbi Bourget kept running and beat the throw home from the first baseman.

“Mackenzie did her job. (Her grounder) came right at me so I hopped over it,” said the speedy Abbi Bourget. “When I got to third, Coach (Smith) told me to keep going. I was surprised. I ran as hard as I could.”

The Ponies had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Abbi Bourget reached on an infield throwing error, Alli Bourget beat out a bunt single and a Beaudry grounder through the third baseman’s legs produced the first run. Later in the inning, Cailin Seavey’s line-drive single was misplayed by the left fielder allowing the second run to score.

The Eagles tied it with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

In the fourth, Callie Hammer reached on a one-out fielder’s choice, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.

In the fifth, Trinity Montigny drew a two-out walk, stole second and continued to third on a catcher’s throwing error. After a walk to Katelynn Bagley, she scored when Bagley stole second and the catcher threw errantly to third to try to nail Montigny going back to the bag.

Besides the bunt singles by the Bourget sisters and Seavey’s base hit, Kiara Prescott and Kilee Hutchinson also had singles for Foxcroft.

“We have been averaging 13 runs per game but tonight we didn’t bring it,” said Ellsworth senior catcher Hammer.

“We weren’t aggressive enough at the plate,” said Cameron. “We waited all game long for someone to start something.”