The Boothbay Wildcats only posted four wins in Busline League action this spring, but two were big ones. During the regular season, Boothbay knocked off the league’s No. 1 team with a two-run victory over the combined squad of Jefferson/Nobleboro. On May 1, the Wildcats toppled Jefferson/Nobleboro, 11-9. 

Boothbay finished the regular season with a 3-7 record which placed it sixth in the standings and landed a playoff date with 6-6 Oceanside Middle School. On June 1, Boothbay upset Oceanside, which had posted two regular season victories over Boothbay, one by a 23-0 score. But the Wildcats won the one which counted most with an 11-9 win in Thomaston in the league quarterfinal. This earned Boothbay a semifinal berth and a trip to Damariscotta to face No. 2 Great Salt Bay. 

The Wildcats’ season ended June 5 as Great Salt Bay sent its ace to the mound which kept Boothbay bats quiet. Despite a lack of offense, Boothbay displayed significant skill in the field making several outstanding defensive plays. Catcher Maddox Cusumano made two catches on foul pop-ups. On one, he ran around the umpire, dove spread eagle and caught the ball. 

But it was a key defensive play by shortstop Finn Harkins which had the most impact on the game. With the bases loaded and two out, Harkins fielded a ball deep in the hole. “That was a big play to get out of the inning with no runs,” said Head Coach Smith Climo. “His only play was to third so he backhanded it cleanly, and fired the ball to Liam Jacobs at third to end the inning.”

Climo called his team’s performance this season a testament to their dedication to the sport. The Wildcats began with 15 players in March which dwindled to 13 after a couple indoor practices.  The first outdoor practice occurred a day before the first game, and by then, the Wildcats were down to 12 players. “Nine sixth graders, three seventh graders and no eighth graders. I can’t be prouder of what we accomplished this season.”

On offense, the Wildcats improved throughout the season. Team batting leaders were first baseman Robert Shaw with a .473 batting average and 14 runs batted in. Cusumano follwed with a .433 average and 14 rbi. But Climo pointed to another statistic which shows how well his team hit up and down the lineup. “All season we had only 35 batters caught looking (at third strike),” he said. 

This season was the Wildcats’ return to league play after a year’s absence. In Climo’s opening day lineup, none of his 12 had played on a regulation size diamond. “Nobody expected us to win a game, but we did. Our team has a bunch of hard workers who played hard every game and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” he said.

Climo was assisted by Adam Harkins who had coached many of the players in Little League. Climo credited Harkins for providing more instruction as a key factor in players’ development. “Adam threw batting practice, hit ground balls and did things I just couldn’t do. His presence meant our players got twice as much coaching. So what he did for us was just incredible,” Climo said.

The Wildcats held a season-ending party June 6 with pizza and a wiffle ball game.