SOUTH PARIS

After opening its season with a 6-5 loss to rival Morse on Monday, the past week has been tough for the Mt. Ararat High School softball team.

The rainy weather made it impossible for the young Eagles to get outside, and Friday’s home matchup with Bangor didn’t make it through two innings before more of the wet stuff forced a stoppage.

On Saturday, the clouds finally broke, with Mt. Ararat heading to Oxford Hills to face the Vikings in a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference contest.

Oxford Hills pounded out 16 hits for a 15-2 win that ended via the mercy rule in the fifth.

“We have a lot of young players out there, some with their first varsity experience, and it shows us where we are. We will use this as a starting point,” said Mt. Ararat co-coach Al Graffam. “We knew that we’d have our work cut out for us today.”

One through nine in the Vikings lineup hit the ball hard on Saturday. Brooke Carson, hitting out of the No. 9 spot, launched a long three-run homer in the third to cap off a four-run frame for Oxford Hills. Kenzie Kahkonen was 3-for-3 with a double, while Kori Kahkonen belted two doubles to the fence in left field for two big RBIs.

“Every one of these kids have the potential to hit well,” said Oxford Hills (2-1) coach Cindy Goddard, whose Vikings visit Leavitt on Monday. “There is no weak spot. And, we have good speed overall. We put a lot of pressure on.”

“They just hit the ball really well,” Eagles co-coach Brooke Cox said. “We need consistency, players that are playing. Without the experience, it is hard to do that. But, that will come. It is a work in progress.”

Oxford Hills jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Ashley Childs and Madison Starbird both reached on bunt singles, and Kenzie Kahkonen singled to drive in Childs.

Mt. Ararat avoided further damage thanks to two close plays at the plate. Shortstop Ema Hawkes fired to catcher Kayleigh Temple for an out, and center fielder Belle Benner threw a strike to the plate for the final out of the first.

Mt. Ararat, after going down in order in the first, tied the game in the second. Hawkes reached on an infield single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground ball by Jaden Lohr.

From there, Oxford Hills starting pitcher Lauren Merrill was solid, going four innings on just two hits, two runs and four strikeouts.

Big inning

The Vikings gave Miller all the runs she needed in the second, stringing together five hits for a 7-1 lead. Kori Kahkonen drove in the go-ahead run with her first double, and a run scored on a Carson bunt. Childs lifted a sacrifice fly ball, and two runs scored on Eagle errors.

“We hadn’t played since last Friday, and they were ready to go,” said Goddard.

In the third, Kori Kahkonen’s second two-bagger made it an 8-1 game, and Carson turned on a Camille Rowe offering for a long blast over the left-field fence for an 11-1 edge.

“Sometimes people may feel that this is our number nine hitter and they can relax,” said Goddard of Carson. “We want someone in that spot that is fast. If she can hit like that, it will certainly be a bonus.”

“I was seeing the ball well today,” said Carson, who was 2-for-2. “As a team we did really well today. It was nice to be on this field, the field that we practice on. It was just good to be home.”

Benner led off the fourth with a single for the Eagles and later scored on a ground ball by Emily Wormwood.

But, Oxford Hills finished off the visitors with four more runs in the bottom of the inning, the big blow a two-run single by Kaisa Heikkinen.

Sydney Crocker pitched the fifth for Oxford Hills, permitting a single by Lohr before retiring the final three Mt. Ararat hitters. She struck out one.

Rowe went the distance for the Eagles, permitting 16 hits and one walk with one strikeout.

Madison Starbird, Madison Day and Heikkinen picked up two hits each for the Vikings.

Mt. Ararat is slated to visit Medomak Valley today at 4 p.m.