Six-run first inning helps Bucksport past Ellsworth

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ELLSWORTH – Compact swings and hard, line drives.

That’s what Bucksport baseball coach David Gonyar is stressing to his team this year and that’s exactly what he got Wednesday afternoon as the Golden Bucks jumped on Ellsworth early and cruised to a 10-1 victory.

Outfield footing was a bit dicey due to the soaked grass and spongy turf, but it was infield defense that let the Eagles down early as the Bucks put up six runs – three unearned – in the first on four hits and three Ellsworth errors.

“Baseball’s really 90 percent mental. Our kids can make those plays, but they weren’t mentally prepared in that first inning,” said coach Charlie Farley, whose Eagles are now 4-3. “In our last two games, we’ve mentally given games away and that’s what costs you.”

It certainly cost the Eagles as they committed eight errors and then compounded their misfortune with 10 walks.

Meanwhile, the 4-1 Bucks were cruising along behind junior righthander Phil Harvey (2-0), who spotted his pitches well while allowing six hits and one run in five innings. He also struck out five batters and walked two.

“He started off very sharp and I really liked the way he was throwing,” Gonyar said. “I think the big thing for us about not letting them back in was working out of a couple jams. They were certainly trying to get that momentum back, but Phil and our defense were able to keep them from doing that.”

Although he had just one hit in four plate appearances, Adam Sheehan helped lead the offense with a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a two-run single in the fourth that capped a three-run Bucks burst which began with two outs and no one on.

“We try to keep a short swing up there because we know we’re not a power-hitting team, but we make good contact and we have really good speed,” Sheehan said.

“We’ve been concentrating a lot on our hitting because we haven’t started out that good,” said centerfielder Warren Chase, who singled twice, scored three times, drove in a run and stole a base.

Chase also made a fantastic over-the-shoulder catch of a sinking liner deep to center on a dead sprint in the fourth, and then doubled up a runner off second base for an inning-ending double play.

“That was kind of indicative of the game, where they were really out there hustling on the basepaths and in the field and we just weren’t,” said Farley.

The Bucks also got great efforts from Andy Wentworth and Sheehan, who combined for two innings of hitless relief.

Brian Sullivan singled to drive in two runs after Jason Harvey (no relation to Phil) ripped an RBI triple to right center in the first. The triple was Bucksport’s lone extra-base hit in the game.

Chad Smith led Ellsworth by doubling, singling, and scoring the lone run.

GOLDEN BUCKS 10, EAGLES 1

Bucksport (4-1) Ellsworth (4-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Sheehan, 3b-p 2 0 1 3 Harrison, ss 4 0

Wentworth, p 1 0 0 0 Mayo, p-2b 4 0 0

Mercer, lf 3 1 0 0 Smith, cf 3 1 0

Knight, rf 1 0 0 0 Jones, lf 3 0 0

J. Harvey, ss 3 1 1 1 Buckingham, rf 3 1

a-Hopkins 1 0 1 0 Jordan, dh 2 0 0

Allard, 2b 5 1 1 1 Benner, 3b 0 0 0

McHale, dh 4 1 1 1 Dressel, dh 1 0 0

P. Harvey, p-3b 1 0 0 0 Wood, 1b 2 0

Chase, cf 4 3 2 0 b-Kelley 1 0 0

Boober, c 1 2 0 0 Hanf, c 3 0 0 0

Sullivan, 1b 2 1 1 2 Hunnewell, 2b 1 0 0

Pelletier, rf-lf 2 0 0 0 Putnam, p 1 0

Totals 30 10 8 8 Totals 28 1 6 1

a-singled for J. Harvey in seventh; b-struck out for Wood in sixth

Bucksport 601 300 0 ? 10

Ellsworth 001 000 0 ? 1

E? Sheehan, J. Harvey; Harrison, Mayo, Buckingham, Benner 2, Wood, Hanf, Putnam; LOB? Bucksport 10, Ellsworth 8; 2B? Smith; 3B? J. Harvey; DP? Allard-J.Harvey-Sullivan, Chase-J. Harvey; Mayo-Wood; SF? Sheehan; SB? Allard, McHale, Pelletier, Chase; Wood

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

P. Harvey (W,2-0) 5 6 1 1 2 5

Wentworth 1 0 0 0 0 1

Sheehan 1 0 0 0 1 2

Ellsworth IP H R ER BB SO

Mayo (L,1-1) 3 3 7 3 5 1

Putnam 4 3 3 3 5 1

PB? Boober; T? 2:09; ATT? 74