BUCKFIELD — Good pitching and multi-run innings boosted Buckfield to a 12-5 victory over St. Dominic Academy in a Class D South softball quarterfinal Thursday.
Sophomore Carmen Crockett contributed on both fronts for the Bucks. She pitched 6 2/3 innings while striking out 15 batters and giving up one hit and seven walks. At the plate, she hit a double and drove in a two runs.
“I think I did pretty good. I came in strong, but I let the little things get to me in my head,” Crockett said. “That kills me every time.”
Third-seeded Buckfield (15-2) advances to take on No. 2 Searsport (9-5) in the D South semifinals on Saturday.
Sixth-seeded St. Dom’s finishes the season 8-9. Coach Scott Berube was pleased with how the Saints played Thursday.
“I’m really proud of the girls,” Berube said. “We gave a good fight all the way to the end and put a nice crooked number against a good team. That’s what we want to do, is give them a good showing.”
After Crockett struck out the side in the top of the first, Emma Stevens-Belanger tripled to score Brittany Carrier, then Stevens-Belanger came home on a Cora Brewster single for a 2-0 Buckfield lead.
Brewster said the Bucks are at their best best when teammates make noise on the bench.
“I feel like we are close as a team and communication; being loud in the dugout helps us when we are at the plate,” Brewster said.
Crockett had another quick inning in the top of the second, setting down three more Saints batters. The Buckfield offense added to the lead in the bottom half of the inning.
Lillian Sharples started things off with a single and later scored on an error.
Chloe Bennett also scored on an error, and Carrier scored on a passed ball. Stevens-Belanger’s single drove home Abigail Prokey, putting the Bucks ahead 6-0 after two innings.
“There’s one thing I coach, and that’s being aggressive at the plate and on the base paths,” Buckfield coach Shawn Prokey said. “We try to put the ball in play as much as possible, and if they see strikes, I want them swinging the bat.”
St. Dom’s got its bats going in the third. Natalie Reed reached on an error, then Chloe Croteau, who replaced Reed as a courtesy runner, stole second and third while Maddie Andrews got on base with a walk. Emily Andrews drove both of them home with a triple. Emily Andrews scored the Saints’ third run on a wild pitch.
“Those girls over there at St. Dom’s never gave up,” Shawn Prokey said. “They played a heck of a game. They put the ball in play hard a couple of times against Carmen. We haven’t seen that much this year.”
Buckfield got a run back in the bottom of the third for a 7-3 lead.
Crockett retired St. Dom’s in order in the top of the fourth, including two strikeouts.
Crockett helped her cause in the bottom of the fourth when she hit a two-run double that pushed Buckfield’s lead t0 9-3. Cori Merrill added another run in the inning on a passed ball.
After a scoreless inning by both teams in the fifth, Crockett struck out the Saints in order in the top of the sixth.
“That’s the best pitching we have seen all year,” Berube said. “I think if we had a few more looks — and we had a scrimmage canceled on Monday (against Monmouth), had we seen that it probably would have prepped us better. But putting up five runs against that pitcher is good.”
Walks in the bottom of the sixth helped the Bucks score two more runs. Amelia Hill had a bases-loaded sac fly and Kai Trenoweth scored on a passed ball to make it 12-3.
The Saints got out of the inning without any more damage. The rain started to come down hard in the top of the seventh. Aiva Dorman and Charlie Apodaca both walked and then scored when Croteau reached on an error, cutting the deficit 12-5.
“We made them play a full game. That’s honorable right there,” Berube said.
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