BUCKSPORT – Bucksport High School senior righthander Joe Robicheau labored in his team’s 10-3 win over Medomak Valley of Waldoboro in their Eastern Maine Class B semifinal Monday afternoon.

But the Penobscot Valley Conference Class B Player of the Year overcame nine walks, including four in a 40-pitch first inning, to finish strong and the Bucks pounded out 10 hits and stole seven bases to earn their first EM final berth since 2003.

The top-seeded 17-1 Bucks, winners of 17 straight, will face 17-1 Winslow, the No. 2 seed, in Wednesday’s 7 p.m. final at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor.

Bucksport also capitalized on four Panther errors that resulted in seven unearned runs.

“We have some good team speed and we try to put pressure on the other team’s defense. When they make mistakes, we capitalize with a couple of hits and it turns into a big inning,” said Bucksport first-year coach Tiger Stewart.

Robicheau retired 12 of the last 15 hitters he faced after a critical inning-ending 4-6-3 double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third preserved a 6-3 lead.

“I just didn’t have it today. It took a while to get things straightened out,” said Robicheau, now 8-1. “I finally got it the last couple of innings. I slowed my fastball down so I could be more accurate. I let them hit the ball and let my teammates do the work.”

Robicheau allowed only three hits and finished with four strikeouts. He threw 133 pitches, 67 for strikes.

Tom Kennedy, Medomak Valley’s starting pitcher, said his team “missed a lot of opportunities today. He [Robicheau] did a good job.”

The 10-8 Panthers were 2-for-12 with men on base while Bucksport went 5-for-19.

“We left too many men on base. We didn’t execute,” said Panthers RF-pitcher Jared Simmons. “When Bucksport had runners on base, they scored them. They’re an excellent hitting team.”

After spotting the Panthers a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Bucks answered with three in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good.

Matt Jackson belted a long double to right-center to ignite the rally and he eventually stole third and scored on a throwing error to the plate on Chris Maguire’s fielder’s choice.

Cam Wadleigh doubled deep to center to score Maguire, and singles by Todd Freeman and Brandon Blair (RBI) delivered Wadleigh.

Bucksport added three more in the second as Ted Cooke singled, stole second and third, and, after Jackson walked, he scored on Eddie Robbins’ groundout.

Two walks later, another infield throwing error produced the final two runs.

Medomak Valley got two back in the third on singles by Nate Ayotte and Kennedy, two walks, and Dale Winchenbach’s RBI single.

But the double play thwarted the rally.

The Bucks added four insurance runs in the fourth when Wadleigh blooped a two-run single over a drawn-in infield and Blair ripped a two-run single to left.

Wadleigh doubled and a singled, good for three RBIs, and Blair, making his first start in a month, had two singles and three RBIs.

“I was pretty confident when I was up there. My job is to just hit the ball and that’s all I’m thinking about,” said Blair.

Jackson doubled and singled.

GOLDEN BUCKS 10, PANTHERS 3

Medomak Valley (10-8) Bucksport (17-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Ferrier, cf 3 1 0 0 Jackson, ss 3 2 0

N. Ayotte, 2b 3 1 1 0 Robbins, cf 4 1

Kennedy, p-rf 3 1 1 0 Maguire, 3b 2 0

Simmons, rf-p 2 0 0 0 Robicheau, p 3 0

Goldrup, 3b 1 0 0 0 Wadleigh, c 3 1 3

Olsen, 3b 1 0 0 0 Fish, pr 0 1 0

J. Merrifield, c 1 0 0 1 Freeman, rf 3 0

T. Merrifield, pr 0 0 0 0 Blair, dh 4 3

Winchenbach, dh 3 0 1 1 Bisher, 1b 0 0

Schwab, lf 0 0 0 0 P. Dedmon, lf 3 0 0

Pease, 1b 2 0 0 0 Cooke, 2b 3 1 0

Chamberlain, ss 2 0 0 0

Totals 21 3 3 2 Totals 28 10 10 7

Medomak Valley 102 000 0 — 3

Bucksport 330 400 x – 10

E-Goldrup 3, N. Ayotte; Cooke 2; LOB-Medomak Valley 9, Bucksport 7; 2B-Jackson, Wadleigh; DP-Cooke-Jackson-Bisher; Chamberlain-N. Ayotte-Pease; S-N. Ayotte; SB-Goldrup; Jackson 2, Cooke 2, Robbins, Maguire, Freeman

Medomak Valley IP H R ER BB SO

Kennedy (L, 6-4) 4 8 10 3 4 2

Simmons 2 2 0 0 0 0

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

Robicheau (W, 8-1) 7 3 3 2 9 4

HBP- Freeman (by Simmons); WP- Robicheau; T- 1:50; ATT- 125 (est.)