Thursday County Quarterfinal Schedule And Preview

The spring postseason moves into the quarterfinal round Thursday, and The County will have plenty of teams still in the mix.

Seven County teams are scheduled to play across baseball and softball, with Fort Fairfield and Katahdin both hosting baseball quarterfinals, Hodgdon baseball playing at Husson University, and four County softball teams trying to move one step closer to the regional semifinals.

Some teams are entering after first-round byes. Others are coming off dramatic preliminary-round wins. Either way, Thursday is another win-and-keep-playing day.

Thursday County Playoff Schedule

Baseball

Class D North Quarterfinals

4:00 p.m.
No. 11 Machias at No. 3 Katahdin

4:00 p.m.
No. 7 Hodgdon vs. No. 2 Bangor Christian
at Husson University

4:30 p.m.
No. 9 Schenck at No. 1 Fort Fairfield

Softball

Class D North Quarterfinals

1:00 p.m.
No. 7 Stearns at No. 2 Katahdin

4:00 p.m.
No. 5 Penquis at No. 4 Fort Fairfield

Class C North Quarterfinal

11:00 a.m.
No. 7 Houlton/GHCA at No. 2 Mattanawcook Academy

Class B North Quarterfinal

4:00 p.m.
No. 7 Presque Isle at No. 2 Gardiner

Baseball Quarterfinals

Schenck At Fort Fairfield

Fort Fairfield enters the Class D North quarterfinals as the top seed after an unbeaten regular season.

The Tigers earned the first-round bye and now get a Schenck team that advanced with a three-run eighth inning in its preliminary-round win over Wisdom.

Fort Fairfield has been one of the strongest stories in County baseball this spring. The Tigers finished the regular season 14-0, with pitching, defense and timely offense pushing them to the No. 1 seed.

Jonah LeBlanc, Cayden Ala, Levi Cole, Graeden King, Jacob Edgecomb, Eric Helstrom and company have all been part of a season that now moves into the tournament quarterfinals.

Machias At Katahdin

Katahdin also comes into Thursday after earning a first-round bye.

The Cougars are the No. 3 seed in Class D North and will host No. 11 Machias at 4 p.m.

Katahdin finished the regular season 12-2, with both losses coming against Fort Fairfield. The Cougars have had strong production throughout the lineup, with Conor Schmidt, Calvin Richardson, Bradley Swallow, Wyatt Pipes, Matthew Keim, Addison Young and Chandler Libby among the names who have helped lead the way.

Machias advanced with a preliminary-round win over Washburn/Easton/Central Aroostook.

Hodgdon Vs. Bangor Christian

Hodgdon is back in action after picking up a 12-6 preliminary-round win over Madawaska.

Landon Botting and John Gaddis each drove in 2 runs in that win, while Finn Gardiner and Michael Fitzpatrick each added two hits.

The Hawks now face No. 2 Bangor Christian in a quarterfinal matchup at Husson University.

For Hodgdon, the task gets bigger Thursday, but the Hawks already showed they can keep the bats moving in a playoff setting.

Softball Quarterfinals

Stearns At Katahdin

Katahdin softball begins its tournament run Thursday after earning the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in Class D North.

The Lady Cougars put together an unbeaten regular season and now host No. 7 Stearns at 1 p.m.

Katahdin has been one of the most complete softball teams in the region this spring. Polly Cullen has delivered in the circle and at the plate, while Emily McNally, Dakotah Stevens, Lydia Qualey, Savannah McGraw, Emily Lane and others have helped power a deep lineup.

Now, the Lady Cougars get their first postseason test.

Penquis At Fort Fairfield

Fort Fairfield survived one of the wildest games of the preliminary round, holding off Washburn/Easton 16-15.

The Lady Tigers built an early lead with an eight-run second inning, then had to withstand a late push from the Lady Beavers to move on.

Cadence Binnie went 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs in the win, while Addison Cole had three hits, including two doubles, and drove in 2 runs.

Isabella Winters and Avery Solomon each added three hits. Sare Bernard had a two-RBI triple, and Kendall Ainsworth added a two-RBI hit.

Fort Fairfield now hosts No. 5 Penquis in the Class D North quarterfinals at 4 p.m.

Houlton/GHCA At Mattanawcook Academy

Houlton/GHCA is headed into a familiar matchup Thursday.

The Lady Shires advanced with a 5-3 preliminary-round win over Dexter behind another strong outing from Amelia Matwyko, who went the distance and struck out 17.

Mylee Sylvia drove in two runs with a single, while Leah Swallow added an RBI groundout.

Now, Houlton/GHCA gets a third meeting with No. 2 Mattanawcook Academy.

The two teams have already seen each other twice this spring, and Thursday’s quarterfinal will decide who keeps playing.

Presque Isle At Gardiner

Presque Isle softball is moving on after an 8-7 comeback win over MDI in the Class B North preliminary round.

MDI jumped out early behind an Ella Watson grand slam, but the Lady Wildcats kept chipping away.

Astra Laughton had a two-RBI triple, Delanie Cyr had three hits and an RBI, Peyton Jennings added two hits and 2 RBIs, Kolbie Langley had two hits, and Gan Curtis delivered the eventual game-winning RBI in the sixth inning.

Now Presque Isle heads to No. 2 Gardiner for a 4 p.m. quarterfinal.

The Lady Wildcats have already shown they can battle back in a tournament game. Thursday brings another challenge on the road.

Follow me for County sports photos, score updates, local stories, and behind-the-scenes coverage from games and events across Aroostook County: [HERE]

Filed Under: High School Scores