Foxcroft defeats Winslow in a 5-inning quarterfinal
DOVER-FOXCROFT – A half hour rain delay in the top of the fifth did not dampen the Foxcroft Academy bats during a Class B North quarterfinal vs. Winslow High School on Friday, June 10.
After a quick fly ball out to end the inning with two left on base, the 11th-seeded Ponies scored five times in the home half of the inning to win via mercy rule 11-1 over the No. 14 Black Raiders. The victory advanced Foxcroft (9-9) to the program’s first Class B North/East semifinal since 2013 (which was a defeat at eventual regional champion Winslow).
The Black Raiders ended the season at 4-14. Both teams won road prelims earlier in the week, with the Ponies defeating sixth seed John Bapst Memorial High School of Bangor 16-6 on the turf at Husson University the Monday before and Winslow departing Newport with a 5-4 upset over No. 3 Nokomis Regional High School.
ON TO THE SEMIFINALS – Foxcroft Academy senior Anthony Smith comes home on an RBI-single to rightfield by freshman Calvin Landry for the winning run in an 11-1, 5-inning victory vs. Winslow in a Class B North quarterfinal on June 10. The Ponies advanced to the Class B North/East semifinals for the first time since 2013.
The playoff victories came after each team had a losing skid late in the regular season. Foxcroft had dropped six straight before winning its regular season finale 11-10 vs. Dexter to start a 3-game winning streak. Winslow was the loser of eight in a row before defeating Nokomis.
Following the break in the action for the shower to pass over the campus of Foxcroft Academy, play continued on Friday with junior Donnie Poole remaining on the mound to continue his at-bat against Winslow senior Evan Bourget. Bourget flew out to senior leftfield Chase Higgins to end the inning with two runners stranded in scoring position.
Bourget would end up being the last hitter for Poole, who pitched all five innings and gave up just one run, scattered three hits and four walks and he struck out a pair.
BUNT SINGLE – Sophomore Jadon Richard sprints to first ahead of a throw to Winslow senior Tyler Brockway, with Pony freshman Calvin Landry getting to second, during the bottom of the fourth. The hit helped the Ponies score three times in the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth the first three Pony batters reached base to set up senior Gideon Topolski. He dropped a double past the diving Winslow senior centerfielder Caden Fitzpatrick to drive in freshman Calvin Landry and sophomore Jack Day for an 8-1 Foxcroft advantage.
Topolski finished the afternoon with a contest-high three hits going 3-for-3 with a walk in his other plate appearance, driving in the two runs and coming home three times himself.
Senior Anthony Smith followed with an RBI-single to drive in sophomore Jadon Richard and Topolski scored on a throwing error to make the game 10-1.
WIN OVER WINSLOW – Junior Donnie Poole, with sophomore Jack Caruso playing at third, earned the victory as he pitched all five innings in a mercy-rule shortened 11-1 Class B North quarterfinal victory over Winslow. Poole scattered three hits and four walks in his five innings of work.
Walks by Higgins and Poole loaded the bases again, but Winslow senior first baseman Tyler Brockway snagged a line drive out of the air and he stepped on the bag ahead of the baserunner for a double play.
Sophomore Jack Caruso drew a walk to load the bases for the third time in the inning and set Landry up for his second trip to the plate in the bottom of the fifth.
Landry sent a pitch to rightfield where it landed on the gross inside the foul line. Smith was off with the pitch from third but he scored with ease as Winslow had no play anywhere in the field. The senior touched homeplate as Foxcroft walked off with the mercy rule 11-1 win.
HOLDING ON – Pony junior Caden Crocker makes a diving catch in rightfield for the first out of the game.
The five-run fifth inning followed three runs for the Ponies in both the bottom of the first and fourth. Smith and Caruso had RBI-singles in their first at-bats and Poole drew a bases loaded walk to help his cause on the mound.
In the fourth Smith took ball four with three runners on and Poole singled to centerfield to drive in a pair for a 6-1 lead.
The Ponies finished with 11 hits, compared to just three for Winslow. The home team also had a 9-4 advantage in bases on balls.
TIME TO CELEBRATE – Senior Anthony Smith, left, and freshman Calvin Landry jump after Landry’s RBI drove in Smith for the winning run of a 11-1, five inning Class B North quarterfinal victory for Foxcroft vs. Winslow.
The quarterfinal victory advanced Foxcroft to a semifinal matchup at No. 2 Old Town High School on Saturday afternoon. The Coyotes enter at 12-6, which includes a 9-5 win over the Ponies in Old Town and an 11-0 victory in Dover-Foxcroft.
BASEBALL
Class B North
quarterfinal
No. 11 Foxcroft 11
No. 14 Winslow 1
WIN 000 10 | 1
FOX 300 35 | 11
Winslow: Loubier
1-2 RBI; Boucher 1-2
BB SB
FOXCROFT: Topolski
3-3 2B BB 2 RBI 3 runs SB;
Landry 2-3 E RBI 2 runs;
Smith 2-3 BB 2 RBI 2 runs
WP Poole 5 IP 1 run
3 hits 4 BB 2 K
LP Boucher 4.2 IP 6 runs
8 hits 4 BB 1 K
LOB — Winslow 6
Foxcroft 7
Records – Winslow 4-14
Foxcroft 9-9