Katahdin Boys Holds Off Machias, Girls Over Stearns, head to Class D North Semifinals

Katahdin answered early, took the lead in the middle innings and held off Machias for a 4-3 Class D North quarterfinal win.

Machias struck first in the opening inning when Brady Fergerson hit a two-run home run to center field, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.

Katahdin came right back in the bottom half.

Bryten Hartsgrove walked, Calvin Richardson doubled, and Conor Schmidt followed with a two-run triple to center field to tie the game at 2-2.

The Cougars moved in front in the third. Hartsgrove walked again, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a Schmidt RBI single to make it 3-2.

Machias tied the game in the fourth on Fergerson’s second home run of the day, but Katahdin answered again in the bottom of the inning.

Hunter Chickering reached on an error and later scored on a Matthew Keim RBI single, giving the Cougars a 4-3 lead.

From there, Katahdin’s pitching and defense made it stand.

Richardson worked through the late innings, stranding a runner in the sixth and then retiring Machias in order in the seventh. He got a flyout to right, then finished the game with back-to-back strikeouts.

Schmidt had a two-run triple and an RBI single to lead the Katahdin offense. Richardson doubled and singled, while Keim drove in the eventual winning run.

Katahdin will face the Hodgdon / Bangor Christian winner on Saturday in the Semifinals.

The Katahdin Lady Cougars held strong and advanced with an 11-1 win over Stearns, and they will face the winner of Woodland and Machias on Saturday.

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