Ellsworth softball rallies past Bucksport in season opener

BUCKSPORT, Maine –  It was a typical season opener only this one involved two teams with legitimate regional championship aspirations in their respective classes.

The Class B Ellsworth High School Eagles rallied from a 7-3 deficit with four runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to edge defending Class C North champion Bucksport 9-8 in a wild see-saw affair at Wardwell Field Wednesday afternoon.

The entertaining contest had clutch hits, great defensive plays and understandable early-season miscues.

The Eagles tied it with four unearned runs in the fifth with back-to-back infield fielding errors triggering the rally.

Jayden Sullivan’s single delivered the first run; Camryn Clough’s groundout produced the second; Natalie Jacobs doubled home the third run and Jovi Nightingale tied it with a single off the glove of diving shortstop Sam Cyr.

It was Nightingale’s first at-bat.

“Our bats were fantastic. Jovi had a heckuva’ hit there,” said Ellsworth coach Brandi Ensworth. “She came in during a tough situation and got a hit and did great.”

The Eagles used a pair of two-out hits to take a 9-7 lead in the sixth.

Brooklyn Carter drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on Sophie Lynch’s crisp single to left.

“I really like fastballs on the outside corner.  And I think I got around on that one well and drove it into left field,” said Lynch.

Following a walk, Clough grounded an opposite-field run-scoring single to right.

“I thought just drive it to right field, make solid contact and run,” said Clough. “I needed that after my first two at bats.”

She had grounded out and struck out in her first two at-bats.

The Bucks got one back in the bottom of the sixth on a Mackenzie Giroux single, a hit batsman and two walks but pitcher Anna Stevens left the bases loaded when first baseman Sullivan made a nice lunging catch off Alivia Shute’s line drive in foul territory.

The Bucks got a runner to third with two outs in the seventh but Stevens induced a game-ending ground out to Sullivan.

Bucksport built a 7-3 lead with two runs in the first and five in the third.

Jayden Tripp singled in a first-inning run and Lexi Raymond’s base hit and Jetta Shook’s double jump-started the third-inning rally in which the Eagles committed three costly errors.

Sullivan paced the Eagles’ nine-hit attack with three singles and three RBIs. She also drew a walk. She was Ellsworth’s only repeat hitter.

Sullivan said she felt her team could overcome the four-run deficit.

“One hundred percent,” said Sullivan. “We all have confidence in each other as well as ourselves.

“We hit throughout the lineup today. There are no holes in our lineup,” said Sullivan.

“One thing about our team is we don’t give up,” said Lynch. “We could be down by 10 but we’re going to fire back and play until that last pitch.”

Stevens went the distance for the win, allowing seven hits with 10 strikeouts, six walks and a hit batter.

Shook was Bucksport’s only repeat hitter with a double and a single.

Bucks shortstop Sam Cyr made a terrific diving catch going to her right to rob Kaylee Bagley of a hit in the fourth inning.

Natalie Simpson went the distance in the circle, allowing nine hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.

“When you give up all kinds of unearned runs, you are going to lose,” said Bucksport coach Mike Carrier. “We hit the ball well, they hit the ball well.

“It’s very frustrating. We’re a lot better team than this. We just started panicking a little bit. That’s what happens,” said Carrier.

Bucksport had five errors and Ellsworth had three.

Bucksport will host Orono at 1 p.m. Friday while Ellsworth plays its home opener on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. against Class A Brewer.