SEARSPORT – With the Bucksport softball team taking a day off from Eastern Maine Class B competition to face Class C Searsport, Keely Sullivan had a chance to show the Golden Bucks what she can do, both in the circle and at the plate.

Sullivan made the most of her opportunity, smacking a three-run double, hitting a single, scoring three runs, and pitching a two-hitter to power Bucksport to a 16-0 victory over the Vikings at the high school field.

The game was called after six innings due to the 12-run rule.

It was the first start of the season for Sullivan as Bucks ace Terren Hall got a rest and the start at shortstop.

“I’ve just been practicing a lot and I’ve been gearing up for this,” Sullivan said. “I wanted to show everyone that I could do well, too.”

Sullivan wound up with 12 strikeouts and was able to relax from her first pitch – coach Mike Carrier’s Golden Bucks, now 3-0, scored nine runs in top of the first inning.

“It’s definitely a big confidence thing to get up and know you can hit,” said Katie Hurd, who singled twice and drove in three runs, all in the first. “It feels pretty good.”

Sullivan walked and scored a run in the inning, coming in on an RBI single by junior Katie Allen.

Brittni Adams and Lindsay Lenor each had a two-run single in the first inning, during which the Bucks did a good job finding gaps in Searsport’s defense. Vikings pitcher Haley Grove walked four in that inning, but Searsport didn’t have any errors in the frame.

“They hit the ball,” Vikings coach Thor Gower said. “Those were solid hits, and there wasn’t much we could do.”

Bucksport wound up with 18 hits, 17 of which were singles.

Lenor went on to add two more singles and another run later in the game. Hall, Allen and Sarrah Winters each added two singles.

Sullivan had a big blow in the sixth, driving a double that dropped into center field and rolled to the outfield fence. Three runs scored on the hit.

Jessi Kelley and Brittani Frisbie each hit a single for the 0-3 Vikings.

Sullivan, who walked three, said she felt her fastball was clicking best, but Gower felt her changeup presented the biggest challenge for his squad.

“I’d be happy to have a second pitcher like that,” he said. “We’re a pretty young team and inexperienced team, and with a pitcher who has good control and an effective changeup like that, it keeps us off balance all night.”

The Bucks will get back to work in Class B on Saturday when they host Hancock County rival MDI in what will likely be a good early season test for both teams.

“It’ll be a challenge but I think we can do it,” Hurd said.

GOLDEN BUCKS 16, VIKINGS 0

Bucksport (3-0) Searsport (0-3)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Kat. Allen (sr.), lf 3 2 2 1 Nelson, ss 2 0

Adams, 2b 3 2 1 2 Kelley, cf 2 0 0

Benson, 2b 2 1 1 0 Grove, p 2 0 0

Hall, ss 3 0 2 0 Jettinghoff, p 1 0 0

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

Hurd, c 3 2 2 3 Josephson, 3b 3 0 0

Winters, 3b 5 2 2 0 Kingsbury, 2b 2 0 0

K. Sullivan, p 3 3 2 3 Ashey, rf 2 0

Lenor, rf 5 2 3 0 Libby, 1b 2 0 0

Kat. Allen (jr.), cf 2 1 2 1 Gray, c 1 0 0

Hutchins, cf 3 0 0 0 Sherer, c 1 0 0

Breidt, 1b 2 0 0 0

Kay. Allen, 1b 3 0 1 1

Totals 38 16 18 11 Totals 21 0 2 0

Bucksport 900 205 – 16

Searsport 000 000 – 0

E-K. Sullivan; Josephson 2, Jettinghoff, Frisbie, Sherer; LOB-Bucksport 10, Searsport 6; 2B-K. Sullivan; SB-Kat. Allen (sr.), Hurd

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

K. Sullivan (W, 1-0) 6 2 0 0 3 12

Searsport IP H R ER BB SO

Grove (0-1) 4 12 11 11 5 1

Jettinghoff 2 4 5 4 1 1

WP-K. Sullivan; PB-Gray 3; T-1:33; ATT-75 (est.)