Ponies make quick work of Presque Isle

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom SAFE AT SECOND – Sophomore Abbi Bourget slides into the bag before Presque Isle junior shortstop Hailey Cameron can apply the tag in the second inning, as Wildcat senior Jordi Legassie backs up the play.

By Stuart Hedstrom

Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT – With runners at second and third, the Foxcroft Academy softball team found itself in a jam to start a May 23 doubleheader vs. Presque Isle High School. The Ponies then quickly used a double play and a groundout to escape the first inning unscathed after yielding a pair of singles to lead off.

These would end up being the only hits given up by freshman pitcher Jenna Clukey and the Foxcroft defense, which allowed only four baserunners in all, and the offense put 12 runs on the scoreboard to earn a 12-0 victory in five innings in game No. 1 (a contest that took a mere hour and five minutes from the first pitch to the third out of the top of the fifth).

A lead-off single and subsequent stolen base and then another single put a pair of Wildcats in scoring position to start the game. Presque Isle senior Erin Ackerson then popped up a Clukey pitch in foul territory beyond first base.

Foxcroft senior Liz Richard took off after the ball from her position at second base and she was able to secure the fly ball in her glove in foul territory for the out. Presque Isle head coach Terry Cummings gambled by sending senior Jordi Legassie toward home from third right after Richard made the play.

The Wildcats ended up getting bitten as Richard quickly relayed the ball in to junior catcher Avery Carroll. Carroll secured the throw and applied the tag before Legassie could cross home to complete a double play.  A groundout from Richard to junior Desirae Brawn at first ended the inning with no damage done on the scoreboard.

The only runs needed by the Ponies came in the team’s first trip to the plate. Clukey helped her shutout on the mound by driving in sophomore Alli Bourget on an infield groundout for the first run, and Richard came home on an error in the field for a 2-0 advantage.

The lead grew to 5-0 in the third, on three RBIs in three consecutive at-bats, and then more than doubled to 12-0 in the bottom of the fourth as 11 batters went to the plate in the inning. The first five Ponies reached on walk, three singles in a row and a hit by pitch to make the game 7-0.

Presque Isle was able to get an out on a fielder’s choice off the bat of junior Gabi Johnson, but the force out at third still resulted in an RBI of Richard – who had a game-high three runs scored. Sophomore Grace Bickford then came home on Carroll’s double to leftfield and Johnson scored on an error to make the contest 10-0 in favor of the home team.

Brawn drove in Carroll on a single to leftfield, making the contest 11-0, before out No. 2. The Wildcats failed to keep the score under the 12-run mercy rule cap as Prescott, in her second at-bat of the fourth, dropped the ball into shallow centerfield to drive in Brawn for the seventh run of the inning and 12th overall.

After giving up two hits in the first inning, Foxcroft retired eight batters in a row. The top of the fourth began with the sole Presque Isle walk of the game, but an ensuing fielder’s choice then limited the Wildcats to a single baserunner. Clukey stuck out the next batter and caught a pop fly to end the inning.

With the team needing three outs and no runs allowed in order to end the game after the top of the fifth, Brawn fielded a grounder at first for out No. 1. Clukey then prevented any need for plays in the field with a pair of strikeouts to finish off the opposition.

Foxcroft ended up taking the second game 8-2, improving to 8-4 on the season and dropping Presque Isle to 6-6 after the Wildcats’ two losses in Dover-Foxcroft.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom KEEPING THE OPPOSITION GROUNDED – Foxcroft Academy senior Liz Richard flips a fielded grounder from second to junior Desirae Brawn at first for the out in the top of the third inning of the first game of a doubleheader vs. Presque Isle on May 23 (in rightfield is sophomore Abbi Bourget). The Ponies swept the Wildcats in the Saturday pair of contests, 12-0 in five innings and 8-2.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom DOUBLE PLAY AT THE PLATE  – Junior catcher Avery Carroll tags out Presque Isle senior Jordi Legassie in the first inning, securing a throw from senior Liz Richard who had just made a catch in foul territory. The Wildcats would manage just four baserunners in five innings of play.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom KEEP ON GOING – Taking a turn at third and heading for home is Pony freshman Kiara Prescott early in the bottom of the fourth on May 23. Prescott scored the first of seven runs in the inning and would drive in the run No. 7 of the fourth in her second trip to the plate.