BANGOR – The start of the spring season was anything but a strong one for John Bapst.

The Crusaders’ baseball team quickly found out that the path back to the playoffs is much tougher when you’re defending Class B state champions.

But after starting the year 0-3-1, the Crusaders are looking more and more like a team returning all but one starter from a title-winning squad.

Bapst jumped all over Caribou with nine runs in the first inning and won its sixth straight game in emphatic fashion with a 15-5, mercy rule-shortened decision on a pleasant Saturday afternoon at Husson College’s Winkin Complex.

“We were kind of cocky at the beginning of the year, but we had a wakeup call,” said Bapst left fielder Tyler Jellison, one of eight returning starters. “We kind of felt if we walked on the field, we were going to automatically win. I think it was good for us because if we’d won some of those early games, we probably would have gotten more cocky.”

The attitude was more of confidence than cockiness Saturday as the Crusaders were aggressive at the plate and made the Vikings pay for each defensive miscue with 10 unearned runs off six errors.

“We thought we came off the bus warmed up and ready to go,” said coach Jim Saucier, whose Vikings are 5-4. “Their first two hitters hit the ball very hard and we made a couple errors. All of a sudden, our heads dropped down and when that happens, you’re not quite as sharp and you’re not ready for the next ball that’s hit at you.”

Bapst notched five hits in the first, but three runs scored on errors while another came home via a wild pitch. It was more of the same in the third as the Crusaders plated two more on two errors and two hits.

If that wasn’t enough for the Vikings, the frustration got worse after they loaded the bases with one out in the first and couldn’t score as Bapst escaped with a double play off a grounder to second.

Meanwhile, Bapst starting pitcher Keith Nason (2-0) had enough stuff to hold the Vikings at bay despite a slider that wasn’t sliding.

“Early in the game, it wasn’t doing anything. It was more of a changeup,” Nason said. “As the game progressed, it started sliding for me, but then it just died down again. I pretty much stuck to my fastball and mixed in a change.”

Nason was touched up for three runs in the second, but only one was earned as a potential inning-ending grounder was mishandled up the middle. Nason scattered nine hits while striking out three and – most importantly – walking none.

“The key thing is he battled pretty well even though he struggled and didn’t have his good location,” said Bapst coach Jay Kemble. “But he learned he can still compete even when he doesn’t have his best stuff.”

CRUSADERS 15, VIKINGS 5

Caribou (5-4) John Bapst (6-3-1)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Bouchard, 2b-ss 4 1 1 0 Strout, 2b 3 2

Snell, cf 3 0 1 1 Tremble, 3b 1 2 1

Shanahan, ss-p 3 1 3 1 a-Keefe 1 0 0

Fowler, dh 3 1 1 0 Z. Means, ss 2 0 1

Selfridge, 1b 3 0 1 1 A. Means, ss 2 0

Cousins, c 3 1 1 0 Myerowitz, 1b 3 2 0

Beaulieu, 3b 3 0 1 1 Healy, rf 4 2 1

Ellis, rf 2 1 0 0 Chapman, dh 3 1 2

McCrossin, lf 2 0 0 0 b-McElwain 0 0

Chasse, 2b 0 0 0 0 Jellison, lf 3 3 2

Snyder, cf 2 0 1 0

Brown, c 2 2 1 0

Totals 26 5 9 4 Totals 26 15 12 9

a-struck out for Tremble in fourth, b-ran for Chapman in fourth

Caribou 030 02 ? 5

John Bapst 902 31 ? 15

E? Bouchard 2, Selfridge, McCrossin 3; A. Means; LOB? Caribou 6; John Bapst 7; 2B? Strout, Healy; DP? Strout-Myerowitz; S? Snyder; SB? Strout

Caribou IP H R ER BB SO

St. Peter (L, 1-3) 3 1/3 8 13 3 3 0

Shanahan 1 2/3 4 2 2 4 2

John Bapst IP H R ER BB SO

Nason (W, 2-0) 5 9 5 2 0 3

HBP? Ellis by Nason; WP? St. Peter 2, Shanahan; PB? Brown; T? 1:40; ATT? 63