Aggressive Bucks win 11th straight> Plate prowess, base stealing squelch Riots

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BUCKSPORT – Jay Kemble, the Orono High School baseball coach, could only tip his cap to the Golden Bucks of Bucksport after Monday’s 15-5 Buck victory in a game which ended in the bottom of the sixth inning.

“That’s as good an everyday lineup as I’ve seen, no matter what class,” said Kemble.

Bucksport pounded out 15 hits and stole 12 bases en route to its 11th consecutive win. The Bucks are now 11-1 while Orono fell to 6-6.

“They’re aggressive. They go after the ball,” said Orono losing pitcher Tom Perry.

“I didn’t pitch all that well. I didn’t hit my spots very well,” added Perry.

Pacing the Buck attack were juniors Pete Saunders and Buzz Simpson, the Nos. 4 and 5 hitters in the lineup. Each went 4-for-4, including two doubles apiece.

Simpson knocked in two runs and scored three, while Saunders drove in one and crossed the plate four times.

Bucksport entered the game hitting .383 as a team with eight of the nine starters at .370 or above.

“We work a lot on hitting,” said Simpson. “We try to keep our weight back and focus on finding a pitch in the hitting zone [and driving it]. We do a lot of the little things you need to do to win. We also like to jump out on our opponents early.”

Bucksport did just that, bolting out to a 6-0 lead after three innings and, following a two-run rally by the Riots in the fourth, answering with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game away.

Bucksport scored twice in the second as Saunders sliced a long double to left, moved to third on Simpson’s sharp single to right, and scored on a double steal with Simpson. Simpson eventually scored on Cameron Giroux’s grounder.

In the third, Nick Raymond singled, was sacrificed to second by John Beck, stole third, and scored on Craig Harvey’s single.

Harvey stole second, moved to third on Perry’s balk, and scored on Chad Gilley’s grounder. Saunders singled and stole second before scoring on Simpson’s double. Simpson crossed the plate on an infield error.

In Orono’s fourth, a walk, Chris Crockett’s double, Perry’s sacrifice fly, and Brad Nadeau’s RBI single produced the first two earned runs of the season off Buck starter and winner Harvey.

Harvey hadn’t allowed an earned run in 25 innings prior to the fourth.

The sophomore lefty pitched five innings of four-hit, three-run baseball (two earned) with six strikeouts and two walks. He threw 51 strikes among his 97 pitches. Saunders pitched the sixth.

“I didn’t have my best stuff. I just tried to throw strikes. I did what I had to do to win. The defense played well,” said Harvey.

In the fourth, the Bucks sewed up the win thanks to Gilley’s RBI double, Saunders’ run-scoring single, Harvey’s sacrifice fly, and another double steal of home involving Saunders and Simpson.

Golden Bucks 15, Riots 5

Orono (6-6) Bucksport (11-1)

Name ab r h bi Name ab r h bi

Hite, cf 1 2 0 0 Beck, ss 2 1 0 0

Means, ss 4 0 2 2 a-Robicheau 0 0 0 1

Cady, 1b 3 1 0 0 Harvey, p-lf 3 1 2 2

Crockett, 3b 3 1 1 0 Gilley, c 3 1 1 1

Perry, p-c 2 0 1 1 Saunders, cf-p 4 4 4 1

Nadeau, c-p 3 0 1 1 Simpson, rf 4 3 4 2

Stinson, lf 2 0 0 0 Pollard, 1b 3 1 1 1

b-Gordon 1 0 0 0 Giroux, 3b 2 1 0 1

Kendall, lf 0 0 0 0 c-McHale 0 1 0 0

Berry, 2b 2 0 0 0 Roi, dh 2 1 1 0

Churchill, rf 3 1 0 0 Gifford, lf-cf 1 0 0 0

d-White 0 0 0 0

Raymond, 2b 3 1 2 1

e-Kneeland 0 0 0 0

Totals 24 5 5 4 Totals 27 15 15 10

a-walked for Beck in 6th inning

b-struck out for Stinson in 6th inning

c-walked for Giroux in 5th inning

d-hit by pitch for Gifford in 6th inning

e-hit by pitch for Raymond in 6th inning

Orono 000 212 – 5

Bucksport 024 414 – 15

E – Beck 2, Pollard, Giroux; Berry, Stinson 2B – Saunders 2, Simpson 2, Gilley; Crockett, Means LOB – Orono 7, Bucksport 6 DP – Berry-Means-Cady SB – Saunders 3, Simpson 2, Raymond 2, Gifford, Beck, Harvey, Gilley, McHale S – Pollard, Beck SF – Harvey

PITCHER IP H R ER BB SO

Orono

Perry (L,0-2) 4 11 10 9 1 2

Nadeau 1 1/3 4 5 4 4 2

Bucksport

Harvey (W,4-0) 5 4 3 2 2 6

Saunders 1 1 2 2 2 1

HBP – Hite (by Harvey), White (by Nadeau), Kneeland (by Nadeau) WP – Nadeau BK – Perry 2, Nadeau TIME – 2:18 ATTENDANCE – 63