ELLSWORTH – Despite the fact that the Bucksport softball team has plenty of seniors and experienced players in key positions, the Golden Bucks felt they still had a bit of maturing to do in the regular season.

That was evident, they felt, during a stretch in which Bucksport lost twice to rival Ellsworth.

Almost one month after the bump in their season, No. 6 Bucksport made sure it didn’t happen again, jumping on No. 2 Ellsworth in the first inning of Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class B semifinal and rolling the rest of the way for an 8-2 victory.

The win puts the defending Class B state champ Bucks (16-3) into the regional final at 7 p.m. Tuesday against No. 1 Winslow, the team Bucksport beat in the EM title game last year. The game will be played at Brewer’s Coffin Field.

“I definitely think we’ve matured more as a team,” said pitcher Terren Hall, a senior captain. “It’s a team full of seniors and we’re leaving it all out there. The team [from earlier in the season], we got into a slump, we didn’t care and we made errors. Now we’re pretty sharp.”

Bucksport’s struggles against the 16-2 Eagles last month included too few hits and way too many errors – a combined 13 in the two games. Ellsworth outscored the Bucksport 11-4 in the two games.

The Golden Bucks have righted themselves lately. They pounded out 10 hits Saturday and for the second straight game didn’t commit an error. Their only miscue was a passed ball that factored into a run.

“It’s a huge difference,” Bucksport coach Mike Carrier said. “We’re peaking at the right time. Terren’s almost unhittable and offensively we’re getting it done. Before, we weren’t hitting the ball and our defense wasn’t there.”

Bucksport second baseman Keely Sullivan had what turned out to be a key defensive play in the sixth inning. Ellsworth had runners on first and second when Sullivan caught a line drive and then threw to first baseman Caitlin Breidt for a double play.

Emily Miller, who hit a leadoff double, was able to get to third on the play and scored when Catie Cravens smacked a triple to deep center field. Cravens was stranded at third after an inning-ending groundout.

The Bucks scored all the runs they’d need in the first. Sophomore Alex Sullivan, who went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, hit a two-run double to plate Hall and Breidt. Kayla Allen followed with an RBI triple.

“They were solid. They were hitting them in good places,” said Cravens, who struck out seven. “They were doing everything right today. We didn’t really come ready to play, I guess.”

Alex Sullivan had another double to drive in a run in the fifth inning and the Bucks scored four more runs in the sixth. Hall and Katie Hurd each had an RBI single in the inning.

The Bucks laid down two sacrifice bunts that led to runs.

“Whenever Coach would call a bunt most of the time we’d get it down,” said Alex Sullivan, whose fifth-inning RBI double followed a Hurd sacrifice that put Hall at third.

Ellsworth’s Jen Richter tripled and scored on a fielder’s choice play by pinch-hitter Casey Wyman.

GOLDEN BUCKS 8, EAGLES 2

Bucksport (16-3) Ellsworth (16-2)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Hall, p 3 3 2 1 Miller, rf 3 1 0

Briedt, 1b 3 2 0 0 Jellison, cf 3 0 0

Hurd, c 3 0 1 1 Seavey, ss 2 0 0

Wilson, pr 0 0 0 0 Cravens, p 3 0 1

A. Sullivan, ss 4 1 4 3 Homich, pr 0 0

Kay. Allen, rf 4 0 1 1 Manning, 3b 3 0

Winters, 3b 4 1 1 0 Rockwood, c 3 0 0

K. Sullivan, 2b 4 0 0 0 Richter, 2b 3 0

Kat. Allen, cf 4 0 1 1 Harding, 1b 2 0

Benson, pr 0 1 0 0 Wyman, ph 1 0 1

Hutchins, lf 2 0 0 0 Peer, lf 2 0 0

Lenor, lf 1 0 0 0

Totals 32 8 10 7 Totals 25 2 5 2

Bucksport 300 014 0 – 8

Ellsworth 000 011 0 – 2

E-Richter, Cravens; LOB-Bucksport 4, Ellsworth 3; 2B-A. Sullivan 2; Miller; 3B-Kay. Allen; Cravens, Richter; DP-K. Sullivan-Breidt; S-Hurd, Breidt; SB-Seavey

Bucksport IP H R ER BB SO

Hall (W, 10-2) 7 5 2 2 0 7

Ellsworth IP H R ER BB SO

Cravens (L, 13-2) 7 10 8 7 1 7

WP-Cravens 2; PB-Hurd; Rockwood; T-1:26; ATT-150 (est.)