BANGOR – The fans of the Bangor High softball team made the atmosphere at Saturday’s doubleheader against Presque Isle seem more like a backyard cookout than two competitive softball games.

One spectator grilled hot dogs near the fence in center field. People lounged in lawn chairs and on blankets. Horns honked whenever the Rams got a hit or struck out the Wildcats. Even the team got into the act, breaking out brownies and cupcakes after they cruised through Game 2, getting a 15-3 win to go with a 7-5 victory in the early game.

After all, the squad has a lot to celebrate after improving to 11-0. Starting pitcher Melanie Deyone was fine in the first game, and the offense took over in the nightcap as Deyone got a rest and freshman Jamie Wells got the start.

But the rest of the season – starting with Game 1 on Saturday – won’t be easy. Bangor is sitting behind Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference teams Messalonskee of Oakland, Skowhegan, Cony of Augusta and Lawrence of Fairfield. “The KVAC teams have all the top positions so we’ve got to get as may points as possible,” said Bangor’s Jamie Kenny, who worked hard toward that end in the second game.

Plus, the Rams know that Big East Conference teams will be gunning to upset Bangor to earn Heal Points.

“We respect everyone we play and we have to be careful, come out and play hard,” Bangor coach Lisa Richards said. “We know they’re going to come right at us.”

Presque Isle, a squad that certainly has a shot at the playoffs, looked upset-minded.

In the first game, the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead after Cara Miller reached on an error to drive in Maren Milliard in the first inning and Miller hit a double in the fourth and scored on a wild pitch.

Deyone was the difference in the fifth inning, striking out two Presque Isle batters and then smacking a double into center field to drive in Brianne Slamin and Danielle Pinkerton. A Slamin single earlier in the inning brought home Rachel Kelly and Jamie Kenny. Wells reached on an error to score Deyone as the Rams took a 6-2 lead.

Bangor made it 7-2 in the sixth when Kelly walked, stole second and scored on a Slamin single.

But Presque Isle wasn’t ready to give up. Milliard, Miller and Kristen Supa scored on a combination of fielding errors and a groundout by Lacy Sawyer. Deyone held Presque Isle by fanning the final out to end the inning and the game.

“We were hoping to sneak one out and I thought we had them in the first game,” Presque Isle coach Tim Prescott said. “But we made a small inning into a big inning. We knew they were going to hit the ball.”

In the second game, Bangor’s offense jacked up its production to help Wells a win in her first start.

The Rams got 10 runs in the first inning alone. Three of the runs came on the strength of a Dionne triple that sailed down the left-field line. Kenny singled, doubled, scored a run, and added three RBIs in her two at-bats in the inning. Kelly hit two singles, scored twice and drove in a run in the inning.

“We’ve been working on hitting a lot in practice,” Kenny said. “We’ve been getting better consistently through the lineup as the season goes on.”

Slamin and Sprague scored in the fourth to help Bangor take a 12-1 lead. Kelly and Kenny scored in the fifth and Kerry Tuck crossed the plate on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth to end the game.

Presque Isle’s Amy Roy scored for the Wildcats in the first when she singled, stole second and came home on a passed ball. Miller andsingles and scored in the fifth inning.

Kenny finished the game with two singles, two doubles, two runs and four RBIs.

Rams 7, Wildcats 5

(First Game)

Presque Isle Bangor girls

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Hayward, ss 4 0 2 0 Dionne, ss 4 0 1 0

Roy, 2b 3 0 1 0 Kelly, 2b 3 2 0 0

Milliard, p 4 2 2 0 Sprague, 3b 2 0 0 0

Miller, cf 3 2 2 1 a-Tuck 1 0 0 0

Supa, c 3 1 1 0 Kenny, c 3 1 0 0

Sawyer, lf 3 0 0 0 Slamin, lf 4 1 3 2

b-Levasseur 1 0 0 0 Pinkerton, 1b 4 1 2 0

Martin, rf 3 0 0 0 Deyone, p 3 2 1 2

Norswrthy,1b 3 0 2 0 Wells, cf 2 0 1 1

Belden, 3b 3 0 1 0 Warner, rf 1 0 0 0

Totals 30 5 11 1 Totals 27 7 8 5

a-flied out for Sprague in sixth

b-grounded out for Sawyer in seventh

Presque Isle 101 000 3 – 5

Bangor 010 051 x – 7

E – Hayward, Norsworthy; Sprague, Dionne, Warner, Slamin 2B – Miller LOB – Presque Isle 8, Bangor 9 SB – Miller, Norsworthy; Sprague, Kelly

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Presque Isle

Milliard (L,5-5) 7 8 7 2 5 0

Bangor

Deyone (W,10-0) 7 11 5 3 1 9

WP – Milliard; Deyone PB – Supa; Kenny 2 TIME – 1:32

Rams 15, Wildcats 3

(Second Game)

Presque Isle (5-6) Bangor (11-0)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Hayward, ss 2 0 0 0 Dionne, ss 3 1 2 3

Roy, 2b 4 1 2 0 Kelly, 2b 4 3 2 1

Milliard, p 2 0 0 0 Wells, p 4 1 1 0

Miller, cf 3 1 3 0 Kenny, c 4 2 4 4

Supa, c 3 1 1 0 Slamin, lf 4 2 2 1

Sawyer, lf 3 0 1 0 Pinkerton, 1b 2 1 0 0

Martin, rf 2 0 0 0 Sprague, 3b 3 2 3 1

Norswrthy,1b 1 0 0 0 Tuck, 3b 1 1 0 0

a-Levasseur 0 0 0 1 Warner, cf 2 1 0 1

Belden, 3b 3 0 0 1 Spellman, rf 2 1 0 1

Totals 23 3 7 2 Totals 29 15 14 12

a-reached on an error for Norsworthy in the fifth

Presque Isle 100 020 – 3

Bangor (10)02 21x – 15

E – Hayward, Norsworthy, Sawyer, Belden; Pinkerton 2, Wells 2B – Kenny 2 3B – Dionne, Pinkerton LOB – Presque Isle 10, Bangor 4 DP – Roy-Norsworthy; Dionne-Kelly-Pinkerton SB – Hayward, Roy; Kelly 3, Slamin, Pinkerton, Sprague

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Presque Isle

Milliard (L,5-6) 5 14 14 7 3 0

Guiggey 1 0 1 0 0 0

Bangor

Wells (W,1-0) 6 7 3 1 6 6

WP – Milliard 2, Guiggey PB – Supa 4; Kenny TIME – 1:29 ATTENDANCE – 74