Jackson scores on error, gives Bucks EM title

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BANGOR – It was a game of plot twists that could have been decided much earlier.

But in the end, it was the Golden Bucks of Bucksport who captured the Eastern Maine Class B baseball title on a two-out error in the bottom of the eighth, allowing Matt Jackson to score the winning run in a 7-6 victory over Winslow at Mansfield Stadium.

Top seed Bucksport, 18-1 and winner of 18 straight, will face the winner of Thursday’s Western Maine final between 16-2 Greely of Cumberland Center and 14-5 Oak Hill of Sabattus in Saturday’s 11 a.m. state final at Mansfield Stadium.

Second seed Winslow wound up 17-2 after having its 12-game winning streak snapped.

The game had a 15-minute delay in the sixth inning when Winslow’s Corey Martin was taken by ambulance to Bangor’s Eastern Maine Medical Center with what Winslow coach Robin Weed described as a possible ruptured spleen.

An EMMC spokesperson late Wednesday night said Martin was listed in fair condition.

The score was tied 6-6 at the time.

Winslow had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the seventh, but Justin Lindie, who had doubled, slipped rounding third on Kevin McCabe’s two-out single to right and couldn’t score. Steve Siviski flied to center for the final out.

“It just happens that way sometimes,” said McCabe.

Winning pitcher Chris Maguire said, “I thought he was going to score on that. That’s how it goes. Baseball is baseball.”

Bucksport’s decisive rally in the eighth started with two outs.

Jackson ripped a line drive single to left and Eddie Robbins lashed a liner off pitcher Siviski’s thigh for an infield hit.

Maguire then grounded to shortstop Lindie, whose throw to second pulled second baseman Brendan Weed off the bag and glanced off his glove. Weed recovered, but Jackson never stopped running and Weed’s rushed throw was wild.

“I just tucked my head and ran and listened to my third base coach. He said ‘Run,'” said Jackson. “I never looked up until the last second right before the plate.”

Lindie said, “I should have thrown it to [Weed’s] chest. I made him stretch for it.”

Winslow jumped out to a 3-1 lead and had some great chances to break the game open, but the Raiders wound up stranding 14 runners.

The Black Raiders were also unfortunate.

With the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, Lindie rifled a screeching line drive that was snared by Joe Roper and converted into an unassisted double play.

Maguire struggled with his control but went the distance, allowing nine hits and nine walks while throwing 141 pitches, 74 for strikes. He struck out six, including three in the eighth.

Maguire, now 6-0, said he “wasn’t confident in myself for a while,” but the delay gave him time to focus on regaining his confidence.

“Then I came out and threw a good inning. I felt like it was the first inning again. My arm was still hanging, but I had my control again. I felt like I usually do,” said Maguire.

McCabe’s first-inning single, Garrett Couturier’s third-inning base hit, and Chris Raymond’s fifth-inning double drove in runs that gave the Raiders a 3-1 lead.

But Bucksport rallied for five runs in the bottom of the fifth.

A walk, Jackson’s single, an error, and Eddie Robbins’ sharp two-run single to right tied it. After a balk and a walk, Martin replaced Siviski and hit Joe Robicheau with a pitch.

Cam Wadleigh followed with a two-run line drive single to left-center and Todd Freeman’s safety squeeze delivered the final run.

But Winslow answered with three in the sixth to tie it.

Martin’s one-out double triggered it and the runs scored on Nate Loubier’s fielder’s choice, a wild pitch, and an error.

Jackson, Wadleigh, and Robbins had two singles each for Bucksport, while McCabe had a double and two singles for Winslow and Lindie doubled and singled.

BUCKS 7, BLACK RAIDERS 6

(8 innings)

Winslow (17-2) Bucksport (18-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Lindie, ss 5 1 2 0 Jackson, ss 5 2 0

Weed, 2b 3 0 0 0 Robbins, cf 5 1 2

C. Martin, 1b-p 4 0 1 1 Maguire, p 3 0

Marks, pr 0 1 0 0 Robicheau, 1b 2 1 0

K. Martin, rf 1 0 0 0 Wadleigh, c 4 2

McCabe, c 4 2 3 1 Freeman, rf 1 0 1

St. Siviski, p-3b 4 0 1 0 Soper, 3b 3 0

Loubier, dh 3 1 0 1 Blair, dh 4 0 0

Zalegowski, 3b 1 0 0 0 Fish, 2b 0 0

Grant, pr 0 0 0 0 Dedmon, lf 3 0 0

Sc. Siviski, pr 0 1 0 0 Bisher, pr 0 0

Couturier, lf-1b 2 0 1 1

Raymond, rf 5 0 1 1

McLean, pr 0 0 0 0

Goulette, cf 2 0 0 0

Totals 34 6 9 5 Totals 30 7 7 5

Winslow 101 013 00 – 6

Bucksport 000 150 01 – 7

E-Couturier, Martin, Lindie; Soper 2, Jackson; LOB-Winslow 14, Bucksport 10; 2B-McCabe, Raymond, Lindie; DP-Soper (una.); S-Siviski, Freeman; SB-Lindie; Maguire

Winslow IP H R ER BB SO

St. Siviski (L, 5-1) 7 6 6 6 7 7

C. Martin 2/3 1 1 1 0 0

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

Maguire (W, 6-0) 8 9 6 4 9 6

HBP-Robicheau (by C. Martin); WP-Siviski 2, Maguire; BK-St. Siviski, C. Martin; T-2:55; ATT-600 (est.)