The Mascenic baseball team took its first loss of the season Monday, but they still look like one of Division IV’s most dangerous teams.

It was a battle of unbeatens between the Vikings and visiting Newmarket, and the Mules showed why they’re the class of the division with an 8-5 victory.

“I think we’re right there with them,” said Mascenic head coach Jason Bartelson after the game. “They can hit — they sure can hit. That’s a good team over there and they’re going to be right there at the end.” 

  • Mascenic’s Grady Krook pitches in relief. Credit: BEN CONANT / For the Ledger-Transcript
  • Mascenic’s Parker Ketola slides in safe at home as Newmarket’s Jackie Prompradit leaps for the ball. Credit: BEN CONANT / For the Ledger-Transcript
  • Mascenic’s Chuck Phillips chucks his bat after taking ball four. Credit: BEN CONANT / For the Ledger-Transcript
  • Mascenic’s Graden Bartelson secures the throw to second but it’s too high to make a play on the runner. Credit: BEN CONANT / For the Ledger-Transcript
  • Mascenic third baseman Robby Batchelder takes the throw in time to tag out Newmarket’s Cole Ahumada. Credit: BEN CONANT / For the Ledger-Transcript
  • Mascenic’s Parker Ketola pitches during the Viking baseball team’s 8-5 loss to visiting Newmarket in New Ipswich on Monday, April 27, 2026. Credit: BEN CONANT / For the Ledger-Transcript

Nate Fluet led the cause for the visitors, smacking a game-tying homer to right, driving in two runs and pitching 2.2 innings of scoreless relief to preserve the game for starter Liam Day (4.1 IP, 5K, 2 ER).

“I think anyone that they’re going to put on the mound this year, you’re gonna see a quality pitcher,” Bartelson said.

Mascenic got quality pitching as well; starter Parker Ketola went 4.2 innings with just one earned run on six hits and four walks, but the Vikings dug themselves a hole early, making two costly errors in the first inning to go down 1-0 off the rip. After briefly taking the lead, Mascenic fell behind 5-2 before tying things up in the fifth, but gave up three runs on three errors in the top of the seventh to seal their fate. 

“A team like [Newmarket], the best team in the division, you can’t give that kind of team extra outs,” Bartelson said. “We hung with them, but we had a lot of errors in the field. We clean that up and we’ll play with anybody, but I told them before the game, it’s got to be clean on the field and if it’s not, it’s probably going to slip away … Our pitcher is pitching well as well, but he’s trying to get that quality team out four, five, six times in an inning, and that’s tough for any pitcher that’s on the mound.”

The Vikings led in the third on a TJ Edgar RBI single and a passed ball steal of home by Chuck Phillips, who’s leading the team in runs batted in.

“Chuck has definitely been leading us offensively,” Bartelson said, “getting on base a lot.”

Mascenic then rallied back from a three-run deficit in the fifth on hits by Grady Krook and Graden Bartelson, but the final big inning for the Mules did them in.

“I told them not to let this one game — we’re only six games deep — decide their season,” Coach Bartelson said, “to keep their heads up, and it’ll correct itself out.”

The Vikings’ next contest was set for Wednesday in Cooperstown, New York, as Mascenic and Conant will take their rivalry on the road and play at historic Doubleday Field at the Baseball Hall of Fame. After that, the Vikings are next in action, another two-and-a-half hours away at Lisbon Friday afternoon. Bartelson and the Vikings hope that will be their last long road trip of the season, at least until late into the playoffs.

At 5-1, Mascenic is third in DIV, behind No. 1 Newmarket (7-0) and Gorham, who remain undefeated but have only played three games.

“I think [a home playoff game], that’s our hopes,” Coach Bartelson said. “We’re the furthest south in the division, so if you don’t have to travel at least for one of them, we’re ahead of the game.”