BUCKSPORT – Don’t look now, but reports of the demise of the Bucksport baseball team may have been premature.

After a loss to Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln as Monday that dropped the Golden Bucks to an uncharacteristic 1-4, coach Tiger Stewart’s club rebounded with four wins in five days, including Saturday’s 11-4, 12-2 doubleheader sweep of Presque Isle.

So instead of looking up at the playoff contenders in Eastern Maine Class B, Bucksport – which has played in the regional final each of the last two years, winning in 2006 – suddenly is back among them.

“It’s been a complete turnaround,” said senior catcher Cam Wadleigh. “We’ve grown so much, and I have to say most of it’s just because of intensity. Everybody’s getting comfortable with each other, and the younger kids understand that it’s OK if you strike out but you’re swinging the bat, it’s OK if you’re making contact and the kid catches the ball, as long as you’re trying as hard as you can.

“Even if you make a mistake, if you’re going a hundred miles an hour nobody’s going to be mad at you.”

The Golden Bucks made far fewer mistakes Saturday than a 3-5 Presque Isle team that committed 10 errors in its third doubleheader of the season.

Bucksport also pounded out 22 hits in 13 innings, with a three-hit game by designated hitter Keegan Harriman in the opener and a three-hit game – including a three-run homer – by starting pitcher Steve Klenowski in the second game.

“We’ve definitely turned this thing around this week,” said senior righthander Ross Bowden, who pitched a complete game in the opener. “Our bats just came alive, I guess. I don’t really know. I’m enjoying it, whatever it is.”

Bowden required only 90 pitches to go the distance, allowing two earned runs on seven hits while walking just two – both in the final inning.

“Ross did awesome, I think that’s the best he’s pitched all year,” said Wadleigh. “When I was in the game we went fastball-changeup the whole time, just spotting his fastball. They couldn’t touch it.”

Bucksport backed Bowden with two runs in the bottom of the first for a quick lead. Kyle McGeechan hit a leadoff double, then scored when Wadleigh grounded the first itch he saw up the middle for a one-out, RBI single. After advancing to third on an error and a groundout, Wadleigh scored as freshman Tyler French beat out a chopper in front of the plate for an infield single.

“I was very pleased with the way we hit the ball, and I think Ross set the one in that first game by going out and throwing strikes,” said Stewart. “We got him an early lead, and he went right after them.”

The Golden Bucks added two runs in the second, then broke the game open with a five-run third that featured an RBI single by third baseman Jordan Trasko. McGeechan added a two-run single in the fourth as Bucksport’s lead grew to 11-1.

Bennett Cassidy singled twice for Presque Isle, while Adam Kingsbury hit an RBI double and Nic Gallant and Ethan Braley each singled home a run.

In the second game, Kingsbury hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning, but Klenowski and relievers Ray Wood and Tim Nason shut out the Wildcats the rest of the way.

Bucksport countered Kingsbury’s blast with three runs in the bottom of the first, a rally fueled by three Presque Isle errors but also including an RBI double by Derek Fish and an RBI single by French.

“I thought those were the biggest runs of the game,” said Stewart, “just to get right back into the game.”

Bucksport put the game away with eight runs in the third, capped off when Klenowski skied a 1-0 fastball through the wind beyond the left-field fence for a three-run homer.

Cassidy had his second two-hit game of the day for Presque Isle, singling and scoring ahead of Kingsbury’s homer in the first, and hitting an infield single to the shortstop hole in the top of the second.

eclark@bangordailynews.net

990-8045

GOLDEN BUCKS 12, WILDCATS 2

(Second Game, 6 inn.)

Presque Isle (3-5) Bucksport (5-4)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Shaw, 2b 2 0 0 0 McGeechan, eb 3 2 0

D. Kingsbury, p 1 0 0 0 Wood, p-cf 0 0

Cassidy, p-3b 3 1 2 0 Wentworth, 1b 2 0

Campbell, 3b 0 0 0 0 M. Harriman, 1b 1 0 0

A. Kingsbury, cf 3 1 1 2 Wadleigh, c 3 1

Gallant, lf 3 0 1 0 Eldridge, c 1 0 0

Ackerson, rf 0 0 0 0 Robbins, cf-2b 3 2 1

Braley, 1b 2 0 1 0 Fish, ss 4 2 1

Ford, c-lf 3 0 0 0 French, rf 3 1 1

Chasse, rf-c 3 0 1 0 Rumney, rf 1 1 0

Morris, ss 3 0 1 0 Klenowski, p-2b 3 1 3

Dean, 3b-2b 3 0 1 0 Bowden, 3b 1 0 0

K. Harriman, lf 3 1 0 0

Trasko, 3b 3 1 1 0

Nason, p 1 0 1 1

Totals 26 2 8 2 Totals 32 12 12 8

Presque Isle 200 000 – 2

Bucksport 308 001 – 12

E-Dean, Morris, Braley, Gallant; LOB-Presque Isle 7, Bucksport 7; 2B-Fish; HR-A. Kingsbury; Klenowski; SB-McGeechan 2, Wadleigh, Klenowski

Presque Isle IP H R ER BB SO

Cassidy (L, 1-1) 2 1/3 8 10 5 0 1

D. Kingsbury 3 1/3 4 2 1 2 0

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

Klenowski (W, 1-2) 3 6 2 2 1 2

Wood 1 0 0 0 0 0

Nason 2 2 0 0 0 3

HBP-K. Harriman (by Cassidy), Robbins (by D. Kingsbury); WP-Cassidy 2; T-1:55; ATT-100 (est.)

GOLDEN BUCKS 11, WILDCATS 4

(First Game)

Presque Isle Bucksport

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Shaw, ss-2b 1 0 0 1 McGeechan, lf 2 2 2

Ackerson, ph 1 1 0 0 Rumney, lf 0 0 0

Morris, 2b 0 0 0 0 Wentworth, 1b 4 0 1

Cassidy, 1b-cf 4 0 2 0 M. Harriman, 1b 0 0

A. Kingsbury, cf-p 3 1 1 1 Wadleigh, c 3 2

Gallant, 2b-rf 4 0 1 1 Eldridge, c 1 0

Chasse, rf 2 0 0 0 Robbins, cf 3 0 0

Campbell, 3b 2 0 0 0 Wood, cf 1 0 0

D. Kingsbury, lf 3 0 0 0 Fish, ss 2 0

Ford, c 3 1 1 0 French, rf 4 1 1

Braley, p-1b 2 1 1 1 Klenowski, 2b 3 2 0

Dean, 3b-ss 3 0 1 0 K. Harriman, dh 3 3 0

Trasko, 3b 2 2 1 2

Nason, 3b 1 0 0 0

Totals 28 4 7 4 Totals 29 11 10 8

Presque Isle 001 011 1 – 4

Bucksport 225 200 x – 11

E-Shaw 2, A. Kingsbury, Ford, Gallant, D. Kingsbury; Fish 2, Nason 2; LOB-Presque Isle 7, Bucksport 7; 2B-Ford; McGeechan, Wadleigh; DP-Presque Isle 1, Bucksport 1; S-McGeechan; SF-Shaw; SB-A. Kingsbury; K. Harriman

Presque Isle IP H R ER BB SO

Braley (L, 0-1) 3 7 9 4 3 2

A. Kingsbury 3 3 2 2 3 1

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

Bowden (W, 3-0) 7 7 4 2 2 2

T-1:50