The No. 4 Bucksport Golden Bucks fended off No. 2 Washington Academy 5-4 at Mahaney Diamond in Orono on Tuesday night, winning their third straight Class C North title.
The upstart Raiders (16-3) of East Machias scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one-run ballgame, but Bucksport (13-6) sophomore Ryan Winchester bore down to secure the final out, punching his team’s ticket to the state title game.
The hard-fought victory capped off a thrilling week for the Bucks, in which they dominated No. 1 Foxcroft 6-0 in the semis, then outlasted a Raider team that had swept them in the regular season.
“We have a group of veterans and athletes that love competing. Their team chemistry is second to none,” Bucksport head coach Josh Jackson said. “Trent [Goss] came in and pitched a fantastic game for us today — we wanted to come at [Washington] with someone they hadn’t seen before.”
The Raiders previously handed losses to senior ace Gavyn Holyoke on May 27, and Winchester on May 22, respectively.
But Goss, a sophomore, stepped up to the challenge on Tuesday, compiling a one-hitter over 6.2 innings with 11 strikeouts. He conceded six walks and just two earned runs.
Goss was ultimately yanked with one out to go in the seventh due to pitch count limitations, and Winchester hit a batter and walked three (one intentional) before nailing down a four-pitch swinging strikeout to end it.
“As nerve-wracking as it was, that’s just the fun of baseball,” Jackson said. “This group plays in the moment.”
The Bucks’ bats tallied seven hits and four walks against star freshman Trevor Shimabukuro (6.1 innings, nine strikeouts), scoring five (one earned).
Bucksport opened the scoring with a first inning sacrifice fly from senior Gavyn Holyoke, but Washington responded with two of their own from Shimabukuro (two walks, RBI) and senior Carsen Prout (1-for-4).
The Bucks punched back in the top of the second, parlaying a Winchester walk, a Nick Clair single and two errors at short to score twice and take the lead for good.
Winchester and senior catcher Ayden Maguire finished with two walks apiece, and senior Gunny Cyr logged three hits.
“We’re gonna find a way to score runs,” Jackson said. “Good things happen when we put the ball in play.”
Next up, Bucksport will play for its second gold glove in three years at 1 p.m. Saturday, back at Mahaney Diamond at the University of Maine.
Representing C South is No. 2 Sacopee Valley (15-4) and future Black Bear Caleb Vacchiano, the 2024 Maine Gatorade Player of the Year.