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GORHAM – Buckfield’s Marcia Gagne was pitching for her sister when she helped the Bucks beat Ashland 9-3 for the Class D state schoolgirl softball title at the University of Southern Maine field Saturday.
Gagne’s sister, Cherie Gagne, was the losing pitcher when Katahdin of Sherman Station beat the Bucks two years ago in the state game.
“I was thinking of my sister out there today,” said Gagne, a righthanded senior. “She lost a tough game to Katahdin when there were some mistakes in the field. She deserved to win that game.”
Gagne kept the Hornets off balance by changing speeds and kept the ball down as she scattered seven hits while striking out five and walking four.
Gagne came up with the big out when she needed it as she struck out Diana Belskis with the bases loaded in the fourth and struck out Holly Carney to end the game with runners on second and third.
“It wasn’t one of her better games, but perhaps the positive thing was Ashland didn’t know what to expect from her,” Buckfield Coach Dan Jack said. “Sometimes she was wild and came back to get hitters after going 3-0.”
Buckfield, the Western Maine champ, collected its second straight state title and finished with a 15-1 record. Eastern Maine titlist Ashland, which also lost last year’s state game to Buckfield, finished at 15-1.
Gagne helped herself by driving in two runs and was also aided by the production of Sandy Jack and Sarah Hinckley, who each had two RBI.
The Bucks were solid defensively behind center fielder Nan Boucher, who tracked down three Ashland line drives to the gap, including a shoestring grab off Meredith Baker’s bat in the fifth.
“Those defensive plays really broke their momentum,” Jack said. “Each time it looked like they were going to get a hit, we came up with the big play.”
The Bucks also took advantage of five Ashland errors and scored four unearned runs. The Bucks were aggressive on the basepaths, taking extra bases when the Hornets threw the ball around, and stole five bases.
“The kids started out slow, made some errors, and then couldn’t put it back together,” Ashland Coach Becky Morse said. “(Buckfield) did everything right. They made things happen with their aggressive play and may have forced the errors.”
Sandy Stevens scored Buckfield’s first run in the first inning when Ashland catcher Marcy O’Clair overthrew third when attempting to catch Stevens in a rundown. Stevens was trying to score from second on Jack’s looping double to center.
The Bucks came back with three more in the fourth. Tammy Lessard doubled down the right-field line to plate Boucher, who had singled.
Lessard then scored following a two-base infield error on Rhonda McAlister’s bunt. A single and walk then loaded the bases with Gagne driving in the inning’s final run on a grounder to third.
Buckfield showed off its power in the fourth when Gagne doubled to score one run and Hinckley blasted another double to deep left to plate two more runs. Buckfield scored its final two runs in the fifth when it took advantage of two errors and a walk.
Ashland got on the board with two runs in the fourth. After a walk to Jen Clark and single by Amy Murphy, Holly Carney singled home Clark.
Two outs later, O’Clair lined a shot off Gagne’s glove to plate Carney from third. Carney had advanced on a fielder’s choice and passed ball.
Carney scored Ashland’s final run in the sixth when she singled, stole second, advanced on an infield out, and scored on a Gagne wild pitch.
Bucks 9, Hornets 3
Ashland girls Buckfield
Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi
Ho. Carney, ss 3 0 0 0 Warren, 2b 3 2 2 0
Belskis, cf 4 0 1 0 Stevens, 3b 2 2 0 0
Baker, lf 4 0 1 0 Gagne, p 4 1 1 2
Clark, p 3 1 0 0 Jack, 1b 4 0 2 0
Murphy, rf 4 0 1 0 Hinckley, lf 4 0 1 2
f-Gagnon 0 0 0 0 Boucher, cf 4 1 1 0
Hol.Carney, 3b 3 2 2 1 e-Oja 1 0 0 0
Bushey, 1b 3 0 0 0 Lessard, c 3 1 1 1
Chasse, 2b 3 0 0 0 b-Goodrow 0 0 0 0
a-Wentworth 0 0 0 0 McAlister, ss 1 1 0 0
O’Clair, c 2 0 2 1 d-Heal 1 1 0 0
c-Theriault 0 0 0 0 Fulenwider, rf 3 0 0 0
Totals 29 3 7 2 Totals 30 9 8 5
a-ran for Chasse in 3rd
b-ran for Lessard in 3rd
c-ran for O’Clair in 4th
d-reached on an error for McAlister in 5th
e-grounded to short for Boucher in 6th
f-ran for Murphy in 7th
Ashland 000 201 0 – 3
Buckfield 130 320 x – 9
E – Hope Carney, Clark, Bushey, O’Clair; Stevens, Gagne 2 2B – Gagne, Hinckley, Lessard LOB -Ashland 9, Buckfield 7 SB – Holly Carney 2, Clark, Gagnon; Stevens, Boucher, Goodrow, Heal, Warren S – McAlister
Pitching Summary
PITCHER IP H R BB SO
Ashland
Clark (L,13-2) 6 8 9 4 2
Buckfield
Gagne (W,10-1) 7 7 3 4 5
WP – Clark 2, Gagne PB – Lessard TIME -1:30
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