BUCKSPORT, Maine — There were precious few quality scoring opportunities here on Saturday afternoon.
Bucksport’s ability to capitalize on one of them, without benefit of a base hit, was the difference.
Asher Bowden pitched 6⅔ innings of three-hit, shutout ball and the top-seeded Golden Bucks scratched out a run in the third inning to post a 1-0 victory over No. 4 Washington Academy of East Machias in an Eastern Maine Class C baseball semifinal.
“It was just a good high school baseball game said coach Mike Cowing, whose Golden Bucks (14-3) advance to play No. 2 George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill (15-3) in Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. regional championship game at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor.
Bowden set the tone in a pitchers’ duel against the Raiders’ Gage Feeney. The senior left-hander (4-1) limited Washington Academy (13-5) to three singles, striking out four and walking three.
Classmate Carter DeRedin, a righty, came on to get the final out and notch a save.
“Ever since we started playoffs, I don’t know about anybody else but I’ve been real nervous every game,” admitted Bowden, who mixed his curveball, fastball and other pitches well.
“We’ve got three good pitchers. I think that’s our strength,” Cowing said.
Feeney, a senior right-hander, was equally as dominating for the 2014 Class C champions. The University of Maine-bound pitcher and Mr. Maine Baseball finalist (7-3) allowed only two singles, one of them an infield hit, and finished with five strikeouts and three walks.
“Give him credit, he pitched one heck of a game,” said Bucksport senior Matt Stewart.
Feeney, the Penobscot Valley Conference Class C Pitcher of the Year, mixed a fastball and a slider.
“You don’t to groove fastballs down the middle to these guys because they’ll really make you pay for it,” he said. “I tried to expand the zone as much as I could.”
The winning rally started innocently enough as Matt Stewart worked a leadoff walk. Hayden Craig laid down a sacrifice bunt on which Stewart alertly raced all the way to third after a minor collision at first base.
“Hayden Craig had a nice bunt. I didn’t even see the collision,” Stewart said. “I just happened to look over and no one was covering third.”
One out later, Raiders catcher Colin Pineo could not handle a high pitch that was ball four to Jack Cyr and Stewart hustled home with the run.
Bucksport would not get another runner to second base.
The Bucks’ other scoring threat came in the first inning when Cyr worked a two-out walk and Bowden lined a single to left. However, Feeney retired DeRedin for the last out.
WA got runners into scoring position in three innings, but could not cash in.
In the fifth, Ian Currier ripped a single to left, moved up on Alex Renshaw’s sacrifice and took third on a groundout. The inning ended when third baseman Cyr snared a wicked line drive off the bat of Cam Varney.
“That line drive doesn’t get caught, it’s the opposite end of it, we lose 2-1,” Cowing offered.
The Raiders made a bid in the seventh when Kade Feeney walked, but pinch runner Jackson Scoville was doubled off first when Damon Barker popped up a bunt to the pitcher.
Currier drew a walk and Renshaw reached on an infield single, but DeRedin came in and got Austin Seavey to foul out.
“Today was a great game,” Feeney said. “When it comes down to a 1-0 game against a team like that, you’ve got to be happy.”