BREWER – The Bucksport softball team had plenty to play for Wednesday afternoon as the Golden Bucks faced postseason nemesis Winslow in the Eastern Maine Class B final at Coffin Field.

The rivalry seemed unimportant, however, when the Bucks learned Tuesday afternoon that junior center fielder Katie Allen had been involved in a serious car accident in Orland.

So when Allen arrived at Coffin Field just in time for the game – she had suffered a neck injury and wasn’t in the lineup – it gave the Bucks a huge lift.

“Before the game we got together and said, let’s do it for Katie,” Bucksport coach Mike Carrier said. “It was sort of an emotional high.”

So were Brittni Adams’ head-first slide into first to keep the sixth inning alive, and Terren Hall’s two-run double that lifted the undefeated Bucks to a 3-1 victory over the Black Raiders.

Bucksport and Winslow were facing each other for the 11th time in the postseason with an even 5-5 record. It was Bucksport’s first EM title since 2003.

The Bucks will face the winner of today’s Western Maine final between Cape Elizabeth and Greely of Cumberland Center in Saturday’s state game.

Winslow (18-1) had won two straight state championships.

Allen arrived to see the beginning of the game, but Bucksport struggled in the first inning. Hall gave up a rare leadoff walk to Winslow’s Jill Smith, who eventually scored on a groundout.

Bucksport had trouble getting its offense going early but that all changed in the sixth, when the Golden Bucks rallied for three runs.

Kayla Allen, who started in place of Katie Allen, reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning. Lindsay Lenor’s groundout put her to second.

After a strikeout, Adams hit a pop to shallow right. She slid head-first into first base to beat the throw to put Allen at third and keep the inning alive.

“That was just instinct. I saw the ball drop and I figured if I didn’t slide I wouldn’t be safe,” Adams said. “I knew Terren was up to bat with two on, and we have all the confidence in the world in her.”

Hall stepped in next and smacked a double to deep left-center, plating both Allen and Adams for the lead.

Hall knew Winslow’s Brynne Davis was trying to pitch around her.

“I just had to crowd the plate,” she said. “They were pitching around the outside corner and she slipped a little bit and slipped it down the middle. I just drove it and came through with a big hit.”

Hurd then singled to center and Hall ran to third. Carrier briefly flashed a stop sign but when he saw Winslow center fielder Smith bobble the ball, he pulled the sign and Hall scored.

“Obviously we were worried about [Hall and Hurd],” Raiders coach Terry Parlin said. “We knew they were the big ones and we went out and said don’t give them anything to hit. … It was probably a low inside pitch and [Hall] really smoked it. It was probably the turning point of the game.”

Hurd, who had three singles off Davis, said the Bucks made a mid-game offensive adjustment.

“She threw a lot of drop balls so [Carrier] told us to move up in the plate and we started hitting,” Hurd said.

Hall allowed another leadoff walk in the second but gave up just two hits.

GOLDEN BUCKS 3, BLACK RAIDERS 1

Bucksport (19-0) Winslow (18-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Ka. Allen (sr.), lf 4 0 0 0 Smith, cf 2 0

Adams, 2b 3 1 1 0 Sirois, rf 3 0 0

Hall, p 3 1 1 2 Turner, c 3 0 1

Hurd, c 3 0 3 1 Davis, p 3 0 0

Hutchins, pr 0 0 0 0 Cheesman, 3b 2 0 0

K. Sullivan, 1b 3 0 0 0 Caron, ss 3 0

Winter, 3b 3 0 0 0 Roy, dh 2 0 0 0

A. Sullivan, ss 3 0 1 0 Pelletier, lf 0 0

Kay. Allen, cf 3 0 0 0 Lacombe, ph 1 0

Saunders, pr 0 1 0 0 Kriegel, 2b 2 0 0

Lenor, rf 3 0 1 0

Totals 28 3 7 3 Totals 21 1 2 1

Bucksport 000 003 0 – 3

Winslow 100 000 0 – 1

E-Smith 2, Caron, Kriegel; LOB-Bucksport 4, Winslow 2; 2B-Hall; SB-Hutchins; Sirois, Smith

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

Hall (W, 13-0) 7 2 1 1 2 2

Winslow IP H R ER BB SO

Davis (L, 9-1) 7 7 3 0 0 5

T-1:08; ATT-200 (est.)