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BUCKSPORT – Base running, pitching and more base running boosted the Bucksport softball team into the next round of the Eastern Maine Class B playoffs.
And a little defense helped, too.
The Golden Bucks, No. 1 in Southeastern Class B, scored three runs on errors by No. 4 Winslow and Kelly White tossed a two-hitter to lead Bucksport to a 4-0 victory over the Black Raiders.
The win puts the 16-2 Bucks into Saturday’s regional crossover round of the Class B playoffs. They will face Northeastern division No. 3 seed John Bapst of Bangor.
White, two days off a no-hitter in the division quarterfinal, struck out eight and walked two. She struck out the final two Winslow batters of the game.
“We pretty much worked in and out,” White said simply.
Bucksport wasn’t pleased with its offensive output – only nine hits – so the Bucks made the most of their chances. And because of that, they had a 1-0 lead before their second hitter of the game completed her at-bat.
Jessie Taylor got aboard with a leadoff bunt single. While Jill Richards was batting, Taylor stole second and, after she slid in safely, the throw from Winslow’s catcher sailed into center field. Taylor scampered home for a 1-0 lead.
“You just get on your tail and go,” Taylor said. “[Coach Mike Carrier] helps us pick up the ball and the minute we see any fumble, we just book it and go. You’ve got to be aggressive on the bases.”
It proved to be all Bucksport needed, but the Bucks scored three insurance runs in the fifth. Jana Richards, Jill’s sister, singled in Ashley McAllian, which turned out to be Winslow pitcher Ashley Denis’ only earned run.
Jana Richards and Jill Richards, who reached on a fielder’s choice, chugged home when Leah Page hit a infield pop that was dropped by Raiders second baseman Diana Dorval.
Bucksport put seven runners aboard in the inning, but Winslow threw out three runners at home. In the sixth, shortstop Amanda Roy, who was filling in for the injured Beth LaFountain, made all three putouts.
Roy hit a two-out single for the Raiders in the first inning and Denis followed with another single, but a strikeout ended it. Winslow had runners at first and second with two outs again in the second but wasn’t able to score.
“Timely hitting’s the big thing,” Winslow coach Scott Wood said. “We didn’t have that today. We had runners on, but usually the runner would get on when we already had two outs.”
Winslow tried to get something going again in the sixth inning when Bucksport had to replace third baseman Elissa Gordon after she sprained her ankle running the bases in the fifth.
Roy tried to pounce on backup Amber Damon with a one-out bunt to third base. Damon fielded the ball cleanly but her throw to first baseman Page was too high, allowing Roy to get to second.
“It’s tough to come off the bench and get one smacked at you like that,” Carrier said. “But she’s filled in great for me all year long. She fills in quite nice for me.”
The error didn’t matter. Damon made two heads-up plays – first getting out of the way as catcher Jana Richards and shortstop Jill Richards combined to throw out Roy at third, and then connecting with Page to throw out the final batter of the inning.
“I have all the confidence in my defense,” White said.
GOLDEN BUCKS 4, BLACK RAIDERS 0
Winslow (12-6) Bucksport (16-2)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
Morin, c 3 0 0 0 Taylor, 2b 3 1 0
Boutin, 3b 3 0 0 0 Ji. Richards, ss 3 0
Roy, ss 3 0 1 0 Ja. Richards, c 3 1 1
Denis, p 3 0 1 0 Gordon, 3b 3 0 0
a-Shorette 0 0 0 0 b-Allen 0 0 0 0
Loubier, cf 3 0 0 0 A. Damon, 3b 0 0 0
Byrne, 1b 3 0 0 0 Page, 1b 3 0 0
Roderigue, lf 2 0 0 0 Tweedie, cf 3 0
c-McAvoy 1 0 0 0 White, p 3 0 0
Dorval, 2b 1 0 0 0 B. Damon, rf 2 0 0
Albert, rf 1 0 0 0 McAllian, lf 2 1 0
Totals 23 0 2 0 Totals 25 4 9 1
a-ran for Denis in the first; b-ran for Gordon in the fifth; c-struck out for Roderigue in the seventh
Winslow 000 000 0?0
Bucksport 100 030 x?4
E?Morin, Dorval; A. Damon; A. Damon; LOB?Winslow 4, Bucksport 5; 2B?Tweedie; DP?Roderigue-Dorval; S?B. Damon; SB?Taylor, McAllian
Winslow IP H R ER BB SO
Denis (4-1) 6 9 4 1 0 2
Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO
White (W, 11-1) 7 2 0 0 2 8
HBP?McAllian by Denis; WP?White; T?1:14; ATT?100 (est.)
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