OLD TOWN–The Old Town Coyotes allowed less than one run per game coming into their regular season finale against John Bapst on Tuesday afternoon. That trend continued as Kaleb Gifford pitched a complete game shutout in leading the Coyotes to a 14-0 five inning run rule win over the Crusaders.
Gifford also did it with his bat. He reached base four times, with three hits and a walk. Gifford struck out seven, while walking one and allowing five hits in his five innings on the mound.
“He’s (Gifford) a 3 year starter who’s been solid in the field and on the mound for us,” Old Town coach Brad Goody said. “He’s peaking with the bat at just the right time. He hits his spots on the mound and changes his speeds well.”
The Coyotes took advantage of an error to score four unearned runs in the first inning. Ethan Stoddard hit a triple, Jacob Ketch hit a double, while Gifford hit a run scoring single during the inning.
Old Town took advantage of three walks to score two runs in the third inning. TJ Crawford had a run scoring hit during the inning. The Coyotes put the game away when they sent 14 hitters to the plate with eight of them scoring in the fourth inning. They had eight hits during the inning, including two each from Austin Sheehan and Gifford.
Gifford is one of four seniors on the Coyotes roster. Drew Coulombe, Dana Ouellette, Nick Magoon, and Gifford won a lot of games on the baseball field for Old Town. Ouellette is out for the season, after a serious leg injury during a 7-1 over Foxcroft on April 26th. Ouellette threw some batting practice and also a ceremonial first pitch before the regular season finale against John Bapst.
“I don’t have a lot of seniors, but they are a very talented group. Our number one and two pitchers have anchored the staff that has a 0.90 ERA or something like that and they have been the catalyst for that,” Goody said. “They have been a part of a lot of wins here for us. We are going to miss them, but we are grooming guys to take over for them.”
Old Town (15-1) finished the regular season allowing 14 runs (12 earned) and recording eight shutouts in 16 games, the Coyotes will finish as the number one seed in the Maine Principals’ Association class B north heal point standings. Old Town will play their quarterfinal game on June 9th. With nine days off, the Coyotes will play a tune up scrimmage against class A north top seed Bangor.
“When you make the playoffs, you get another scrimmage,”Goody said. “Bangor is going to come here next Monday. The best team in the state is going to come and we are going to give them everything we can in the last tune-up before the dance.”
Stoddard joined Gifford in the three hit club for the game, Coulombe and Sheehan had two hits each, while Cole Daniel, Crawford, and Magoon had one hit each. Stoddard and Ketch had two RBI each, while Coulombe, Sheehan, Gifford, Magoon, and Ryan Hoogterp each recorded one RBI. The final heal point standings will be released later this week, follow Eastern Maine Sports for schedule updates.
Sam Southwick, Colin Becktel, Lucas Harmon, Nate Smith, and Jacob Detour had one hit each for the Crusaders. John Bapst finishes the season with a 6-10 record.
