HERMON – As Travis Estes kept the scorebook for the Hermon baseball team Monday, he didn’t anticipate penciling in his own name.

“I really didn’t expect to bat,” said Estes, a freshman, “because in close games usually I just keep the book.”

And make no mistake, this was a close game – eventually. Hermon jumped out to an 8-0 lead, only to have Bucksport rally to take an 11-8 advantage into the bottom of the sixth and final inning of a game played in a steady drizzle.

But after teammate David Wilder hit a three-run triple to tie the game with two outs, Estes got his chance to bat, and lined a pinch-hit single down the left-field line to drive home Wilder and give Hermon a 12-11 victory.

“There were two strikes, and I thought it would be a fast pitch and I’d never have a chance at it,” said Estes. “I saw it hit the line, and I was hoping they’d call it fair.”

The victory improves Hermon’s record to 5-0, with a doubleheader sweep of Mount Desert Island and wins over Ellsworth and Foxcroft Academy preceding this statement win over a Bucksport team that entered the game with its only loss against Class A Brewer.

“With these guys they never say die,” said Hermon coach Mark Farnham. “They came into this year with just one goal in mind, and nothing was going to stand in their way. If you want to get into the states or win the states, these are the teams you have to beat.”

Bucksport (4-2) also showed considerable resiliency. After defensive lapses helped Hermon reach sophomore righthander Joe Robicheau for five runs in the second inning and three runs in the third, the defending Eastern B champions rallied.

The Golden Bucks sent 12 batters to the plate to score five runs in the top of the fourth, an uprising aided by six walks. Bucksport capped off its comeback in the top of the sixth, scoring six runs on six hits, including RBI singles by Joey Carmichael and Jared Grindle, a double by Matt Allison and an inside-the-park grand slam to right-center by freshman Chris Maguire.

Hermon would get one final chance in a game that umpires already had determined would end after six innings due to intensifying rain and deteriorating field conditions.

“Going into the bottom of the sixth, I was a little down,” said Farnham. “But I also knew we could come back.”

Corey Archer and Brett Danforth each drew a one-out walk, and a two-out single by Brian McGinley loaded the bases.

Wilder, a junior left fielder, then found the right-center field gap with a 2-1 pitch, and cleared the bases to tie the game.

“It was a fastball on the outside corner, and I just drove it and got a triple,” said Wilder, who finished with three hits and four RBIs.

Estes then passed the scorebook to a teammate, grabbed a bat and quickly fell behind in the count before driving a 1-2 pitch into left field to set off a celebration among the Hawks.

“Travis has had a hot bat on the JV level,” said Farnham. “He’s hit for me a couple times and done some good things, and I just wanted to give him a chance.”

HAWKS 12, GOLDEN BUCKS 11

(Monday afternoon, 6 innings)

Bucksport (4-2) Hermon (5-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Hopkins cf 4 1 0 0 Ellis cf 4 0 0

Gifford ss 4 1 2 0 Bart ss 3 0 1 1

Pushard 1b 2 1 1 1 Cayford p-rf 4 0 0

Robicheau p 2 2 1 1 Archer 1b 2 1 0

Carmichael 3b 3 2 1 1 a-Curtis pr 0 0

Maguire lf 4 2 2 4 Danforth 3b 3 2 0

Allison rf 3 1 2 1 Shorey 2b 3 1 0

C. Grindle 2b 2 1 0 0 McGinley c-p 3 0

J. Grindle c 4 0 1 1 Wilder lf 4 3 4

Jalbert rf 2 0 1 0

b-Riendeau 0 1 0 0

Hurd c 1 0 0 0

c-Estes 1 0 1 1

Totals 28 11 10 9 Totals 30 12 9 6

a-ran for Archer in 6th; ran for Jalbert in 2nd; singled for Hurd in 6th

Bucksport 000 506 ? 11

Hermon 053 004 ? 12

E?Robicheau, Allison, C. Grindle, Gifford 2, Carmichael 2; Shorey, Jalbert; LOB?Bucksport 9, Hermon 8; 2B?Gifford, Allison; 3B?Wilder; HR?Maguire; DP?C. Grindle to Pushard; SB?C. Grindle 2, Hopkins; Ellis, Wilder, Hurd

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

Robicheau (L, 1-1) 5 2/3 9 12 4 5 4

Hermon IP H R ER BB SO

Cayford 3 2/3 4 5 1 7 3

McGinley (W, 1-0) 2 1/3 6 6 6 2 0

Two outs when winning run scored.

HBP?Pushard by McGinley, Archer by Robicheau; WP?Cayford 2; PB?J. Grindle; T?2:35; ATT?75