Central pitcher Kaelyn Parks throws a pitch against Calais during a Class C Northern Maine quarterfinal softball game in East Corinth on Thursday, June 6, 2019. Photo by Chris Lessner (click to enlarge)
EAST CORINTH- The Central Red Devils scored 15 runs over the third and fourth inning on Thursday afternoon, cruising to an 18-2 five inning quarterfinal playoff victory over Calais in a Maine Principals’ Association Class C Northern Maine softball game at Central High School.
Central (13-4) started the scoring in the second inning. Gabby Poulin had a line drive double to left, and then Britni Grant walked. Alyssa Day hit a comebacker to the Calais pitcher Mackenzie Lapointe, who threw the ball away at first allowing Poulin to score. Lexi Taylor grounded out to second for an RBI to make it 2-0. Faith Fugel reached on another Blue Devils error on a throw to first by Lapointe, and after Fugel got to second on a passed ball she would score when catcher Ivy McLellans throw back to the pitcher went into centerfield to extend to a 3-0 lead on the third Calais miscue of the inning.
Calais (10-7) made it a game again when they came back with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Two walks, a Central error by first baseman Lexi Reardon, and a McLellan hit cut the deficit to 3-2. The host Red Devils would then turn on the offense with eight runs in the bottom half of the inning. Two walks and four hits highlighted by a Reardon two run homer to left, and a three run double by Taylor made it 11-2. The onslaught would continue in the fourth with seven more runs. Poulin led off with a long solo homer to left, and Kaelyn Parks along with Madi Speed added RBI as Calais committed three more errors. Parks retired the Blue Devils in order in the fifth as the game ended due to the 12 run rule.
Alyse Campbell, Speed, Reardon, and Poulin combined for eight of the 10 Central hits on the day. Fugel and Grant scored three runs a piece. Parks got the pitching win going 5.0 innings allowing two runs (none earned), two hits, with three walks, along with seven strikeouts. Lapointe pitched the entire game for the sixth seeded Blue Devils allowing 13 earned runs on 10 hits in 4.0 innings in the loss. Third seeded Central advances to a Saturday semifinal at number two seed Narraguagus (16-1).
Box Score 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Calais 0 0 2 0 0- 2 2 7
Central 0 3 8 7 x- 18 10 1
WP- Parks LP- Lapointe
Doubles- Calais: none Central: Speed (2), Taylor
Homeruns- Calais: none Central: Reardon, Poulin
Stolen bases- Calais: Parks, Jones Central: Speed, Fugel, Campbell
