Houlton Rallies Past Mattanawcook To Reach Class C North Semifinals

Houlton needed one more rally Thursday, and the Lady Shires found it in the seventh inning.

The Lady Shires scored three runs in the top of the seventh and held on for a 7-5 Class C North quarterfinal win over Mattanawcook Academy.

Houlton struck first in the opening inning when Mylee Sylvia doubled and scored on an Amelia Flewelling RBI single. Sylvia added a solo home run in the third to give the Lady Shires a 2-0 lead.

Mattanawcook answered with three runs in the bottom of the third to move in front 3-2. Houlton tied the game in the fifth, but the Lady Lynx scored twice in the bottom half to take a 5-3 lead.

The Lady Shires started their comeback in the sixth when Leah Swallow doubled and Lainey Henderson followed with an RBI double, cutting the deficit to 5-4.

Then came the seventh.

Sylvia was intentionally walked to start the inning, and Maddie Beals reached with a single. Flewelling followed with the biggest swing of the game, driving in both runners with a go-ahead two-run double. Swallow added an RBI double to make it 7-5.

Amelya Matwyko closed it out in the circle, working around a seventh-inning walk and ending the game with a strikeout.

Sylvia doubled, homered, walked twice and scored three times. Flewelling drove in three runs, while Swallow added two doubles and an RBI.

Houlton now moves on to the Class C North semifinals to face the winner of Washington Academy and Central.

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