BUCKSPORT – There was plenty of call for frustration, but not much for the Bucksport Golden Bucks to panic in Thursday’s Eastern Maine Class B softball quarterfinal playoff game at Wardwell Field.

Rather than let themselves get flustered by spotty play in the early innings, the Bucks showed why they’re the top seed, took a modest 3-0 lead in the third, and put the game away with nine runs in the fifth and sixth to advance with a 12-0, mercy-rule-shortened victory over No. 8 John Bapst of Bangor.

“I’ve come to realize they are the best B team in the state,” said coach Bill Baker, whose Crusaders are 0-3 against Bucksport this season.

The 15-2 Bucks will host No. 4 Mount Desert Island Saturday. John Bapst winds up its first season under Baker with an 8-10 mark.

A John Bapst error and two Bucks hits loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning, but Bucksport couldn’t plate a single run. Rather than hang their heads, the Bucks shook it off, escaped their own jam (runners at first and second, one out) in the third, and scored three runs in the bottom of the inning.

“That was a little disappointing, but we didn’t pay much attention to that and came back out hitting,” said first baseman Kristy Allen, who contributed one hit and an RBI to Bucksport’s 10-hit attack.

Leadoff hitter Jill Richards jump-started the Bucks with the first of three straight singles in the third. She stole second and later scored on a wild pitch. Brittani Adams singled and came around on Terren Hall’s single, the wild pitch, and a groundout. Hall scored on Katie Hurd’s sacrifice bunt.

The sudden 3-0 lead only compounded Bapst’s troubles as the Crusaders had already wasted two solid scoring chance in the first three innings.

“The first game here it was 7-5 in the fifth and at our place it was 0-0, so we kind of had the feeling we could play with them a little, but that hurt us because we’re the kind of team that needs something positive to happen for us early,” Baker said. “We had bases loaded the first inning and couldn’t get anything across.”

The big reason for that was Bucksport pitcher Terren Hall, who notched back-to-back strikeouts to escape unscathed.

“I had to do my job and throw strikes,” Hall said of the turnaround after her shaky start. “I changed from inside-outside to keep them off balance and hit them with the rise ball at the end.”

Bucksport’s sophomore pitcher displayed her usual control while allowing just four hits and striking out nine batters. She walked no one to improve her record to 8-1.

“They came here to swing because they know she doesn’t walk batters,” said Bucks coach Michael Carrier. “She’s walked five batters all year long.”

Bucksport blew the game open in the fifth with six runs on three hits – the biggest of which was Hurd’s two-run single – and one Bapst error.

Hall, Brittani Adams and Kristy Allen each also had two singles apiece.

Rachael Stearns led the Crusaders with two singles.

GOLDEN BUCKS 12, CRUSADERS 0

John Bapst (8-10) Bucksport (15-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

De.Richard, lf-p 3 0 0 0 Richards, ss 3 1

Stearns, ss 3 0 2 0 Adams, 2b 5 2 0

Brown, 1b 3 0 1 0 Hall, p 4 2 2 0

Da.Richard, cf-lf 3 0 1 0 Hurd, c 4 0 3

Carter, c 3 0 0 0 Hutchins, cr 0 2 0

He.Laferrierre, 2b 2 0 0 0 Winters, 3b 2 1

Hi.Laferrierre, 3b 2 0 0 0 Kr.Allen, 1b 3 1

Adams, dh 2 0 0 0 Kat.Allen, rf 2 1 0

Colwell, rf 0 0 0 0 Kay.Allen, rf 3 1 2

Wadleigh, p 2 0 0 0 Kat.Allen, lf 2 1 0

Benn, cf 0 0 0 0 Lenore, lf 1 0 0

Murackas, cf 2 0 0 1

Sullivan, cf 1 0 0 0

Totals 23 0 4 0 Totals 32 12 10 9

John Bapst 000 000 – 0

Bucksport 003 063 – 12

E-Hi. Laferrierre 2, Stearns 2, De. Richard; Ka. Allen (lf); LOB-John Bapst 5, Bucksport 9; S-Kr. Allen, Winters; SB-Richards

John Bapst IP H R ER BB SO

Wadleigh (L,8-9) 5 9 9 8 5 1

De. Richard 2/3 1 3 0 1 1

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

Hall (W,8-1) 6 4 0 0 0 9

WP-Wadleigh; T-1:32; ATT-250 (est.)