OLD TOWN, Maine — The Old Town High School softball team spotted Ellsworth a 3-0 lead in the first inning but capped an impressive comeback with four two-out singles in the sixth inning including run-scoring base hits by Natalie Fournier and Emily Wheeler that provided the Coyotes with a 5-3 Class B North victory.
Old Town improved to 1-1 while Ellsworth fell to 1-2.
The Coyotes scored two runs in the third inning and another in the fourth to tie it before failing to cash in on a second-and-third, no-outs situation in the fifth.
But Saige Evans rifled a single to left to begin the decisive rally in the sixth and Ava Brasslett legged out a little chopper in front of the plate for an infield single.
Fournier drove in Evans from second with an infield hit off the glove of the second baseman on a 3-2 pitch.
The aggressive and speedy Evans never slowed down and crossed the plate with ease from second.
“We have been working on our two-strike approach and that really helped me hit and made sure I made contact,” said Fournier.
The lefthanded-hitting Wheeler then pulled a line drive single over the first baseman’s head to deliver Brasslett.
“I was looking for any pitch I could get a hold of and their pitcher (Anna Stevens) told me after the game it was a curve ball,” said Wheeler.
Old Town began its comeback in the third when Evans walked and scored on two throwing errors that were made on Fournier’s sacrifice bunt.
Fournier was eventually thrown out at the plate after trying to score when Wheeler received ball four but Wheeler would score on Lexi Degrasse’s single to right center.
Old Town tied it in the fourth when Taylor Madden hit a one-out single and scored when Evans ripped a two-out double to left.
“We came out rocky but to be able to stick with it and come back is a great thing this early in the season,” said Evans, who will play basketball at Husson University in Bangor in the fall.
Ellsworth had taken its 3-0 lead in the first on a walk, Natalie Jagels’ single, a one-out line drive RBI single to left by Jayden Sullivan which plated two runs when the left fielder misplayed it and Aaliyah Manning’s long fly ball RBI single down the left field line.
But after the first inning rally, Old Town pitchers Arabel Milligan and Haley Sirois allowed just two baserunners the rest of the way as they threw strikes and their teammates turned in a stellar errorless performance which included a number of superb plays.
Shortstop Brasslett robbed Brooklyn Carter of a hit in the second inning with a great backhanded stab in the hole and strong throw to first. In the third, she made an alert play to throw out Camryn Clough, who hit the ball sharply off the leg of Milligan.
Second baseman Lindsay Mockler handled six ground balls flawlessly and the outfielders also made some nice plays including a running catch by right fielder Madden on Paige Johnson’s shallow fly in the sixth which saved a run.
“We definitely pride ourselves on (defense). We work a lot on defense because every person on base for them could be a potential run so we try to keep (the bases) as clear as possible,” said center fielder Evans.
“They are a great defensive team,” said Ellsworth coach Brandi Ensworth. “They played very well. They had some great catches in the outfield. We couldn’t hit the gaps. They ate up the outfield.”
Leadoff hitter Evans reached base all four times with a double, single and two walks. Wheeler and Fournier each had two singles.
Milligan settled down nicely after the first inning, retiring nine of the 10 hitters she faced the rest of the way. The only hitter who reached was hit by a pitch.
Sirois came on at the outset of the fifth and allowed just a one-out double to Clough in the sixth inning.
Sirois struck out two and didn’t walk anybody.
Anna Stevens bravely went the distance for Ellsworth despite admitting after the game to being in pain after Danica Brown hit a vicious line drive off her hip bone in the third.
“We were all worried and nervous about Anna and I don’t think our energy came back up after that,” said Ensworth. “Anna was stellar. To show that much heart and that much fight was impressive.”
Shortstop Manning was injured in an accidental collision with baserunner Wheeler between second and third in the sixth. She left the game but said afterwards that she was okay.
Ellsworth will host John Bapst of Bangor on Monday at 4:30 while Old Town will visit rival Orono for a 4:30 game on Wednesday.
