The Waterville Panthers will take on the Belfast Lions at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Waterville's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Hall-Dale. Considering the Panthers' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Ben Foster made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Foster was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Waterville got a massive performance out of Derek Couture, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Those hits were Couture's first of the season. Garrett Gendreau was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Waterville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Belfast ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They won by a run and slipped past Camden Hills 11-10. The Lions' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Luke Littlefield was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Odelyn Simon, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases and three runs.
The win made it two in a row for Belfast and bumps their season record up to 5-1. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of one runs across that stretch. As for Waterville, they moved to 2-3 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
Waterville couldn't quite get it done against Belfast in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 11-6. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
