Freeman HR key for Bucks Maguire 3-hitter keeps MDI at bay

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BUCKSPORT – For the second time this spring, just one pitch separated the Bucksport and Mount Desert Island baseball teams.

Both times that pitch sailed out of the park, with Todd Freeman’s home run with one out in the fourth inning the difference Tuesday as Bucksport edged the Trojans 1-0 for its seventh straight win.

Freeman’s blast, a line drive to the right of the 285-foot sign on the left field fence, provided the margin of victory in a pitchers’ duel between Bucksport’s Chris Maguire and MDI’s Nick Swanson.

“I was up on the count 3-1 and [Swanson] just threw me a high fastball,” said Freeman. “I crushed it and it felt really good. He threw me a changeup the pitch before, so I pretty much knew it was going to be a fastball.”

Maguire, who hit a game-winning home run in the seventh inning of Bucksport’s 4-3 victory over MDI at Bar Harbor on April 28, required just 81 pitches to complete a three-hit shutout in the rematch. The senior righthander struck out five and walked two for the 7-1 Golden Bucks.

“We made the plays is what happened today,” said Maguire. “I pitched well, but also we made a lot of plays in the outfield. The outfield played great.”

Freeman had a lot to do with that, too, as the senior right fielder ranged far toward the line to rob Brett Mitchell of extra bases with a diving catch in the third inning.

“I misjudged it because of the wind,” said Freeman. “It really drifted back, but I was able to get to it on time.”

Freeman made a similar catch along the line an inning later – this time without the dive – on a fly ball hit by Ben Clark, and left fielder Steve Klenowski made a diving catch of a Sam Stewart liner to end the MDI sixth.

“Todd came to me wanting to play left field,” said Bucksport coach Tiger Stewart, “and I said, ‘Todd you’re there for a reason.’ It’s one of the biggest right fields around, and that’s why he was there, because he made two catches that nobody else makes.”

MDI (5-4) advanced just one runner as far as third base against Maguire. Mitchell walked to open the game and advanced on a sacrifice by Danny Dunn and a fly ball by Swanson before Maguire struck out Clark to end the threat.

The Trojans put two aboard with two out in the fifth, but Maguire stabbed Dunn’s low liner back through the box for the final out.

“I still didn’t have my best stuff,” said Maguire, now 3-1 on the season, “but I’m definitely improving from where I was at the beginning of the year.”

Swanson scattered five hits over five innings. He threw only 66 pitchers while striking out five and walking no one, and allowed just three runners to reach scoring position.

“He keeps the ball low, that’s one of his secrets, and he changed speeds a lot,” said Swanson’s father, MDI coach Mike Swanson. “They had a couple of good rips, but he kept them off balance a lot. A lot of their better hitters I don’t think really got good rips at him.”

GOLDEN BUCKS 1, TROJANS 0

Mount Desert Island (5-4) Bucksport (7-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Mitchell, 2b 2 0 0 0 Jackson, ss 2 0 0

Dunn, rf 2 0 0 0 Robbins, cf 3 0 0

N. Swanson, p-cf 3 0 1 0 Maguire, p 3 0

Clark, 1b 3 0 0 0 Wadleigh, c 3 0 0

Worrick, dh 3 0 0 0 Freeman, rf 3 1 1

Volarik, 3b-p 0 0 0 0 Klenowski, lf 2 0

Stewart, ss 3 0 0 0 Bisher, 1b 2 0 0

Hamlin, lf 2 0 1 0 Fish, 3b 2 0 0

Gilmartin, 3b 0 0 0 0 Cooke, 2b 2 0

Tweedie, ph 1 0 1 0

J. Swanson, c 2 0 0 0

Delaittre, cf-lf 3 0 0 0

Totals 24 0 3 0 Totals 22 1 5 1

Mount Desert Island 000 000 0 – 0

Bucksport 000 100 x – 1

E-Klenowski, Fish; LOB-MDI 6, Bucksport 4; 2B-Hamlin; Jackson; HR-Freeman; DP-Bucksport 1; S-Dunn; SB-Freeman

MDI IP H R ER BB SO

N. Swanson (L, 2-2) 5 5 1 1 0 5

Volarik 1 0 0 0 0 0

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

Maguire (W, 3-1) 7 3 0 0 2 5

HBP-Jackson (by N. Swanson); T-1:25; ATT-150 (est.)