BUCKFIELD – Location, location, location proved far less important to Scott Wetherell’s prosperity Saturday than velocity, velocity, velocity.

Buckfield’s poised right-hander lost his command of the strike zone from time to time during the Western Class D baseball semifinals against Richmond, but he found a way to harness that potent fastball when it mattered most.

The results were a one-hitter, a 4-2 Buckfield victory and a berth in the regional final against No. 1 North Yarmouth Academy on Tuesday evening at Gorham HIgh School.

Wetherell walked seven in the game and allowed two unearned runs in the fourth inning. After issuing two free passes and allowing the potential tying run to scamper into scoring position on a wild pitch to christen the seventh, he fanned the side for the fourth time to finish with 16 strikeouts.

“I started to struggle to find the strike zone for a while. The defense helped me out,” said Wetherell. “At the end, the adrenaline just got going. I only threw one curveball all day.”

High heat was the downfall for No. 3 Richmond (12-6), as Wetherell worked the corners before climbing the ladder against the overmatched Bobcats. Seventh-inning victims Cory Munsey, Jeremy Whittaker and Anthony Marson each went down on strikes for the third time in the game.

Wetherell no-hit Richmond in his last start against the East-West Conference rival on May 19.

“He pretty much stayed away from his breaking stuff. We didn’t think he would need to use it much,” said Buckfield coach Chuck Williams. “Scott loves to step on the mound and go to work. He likes the challenge.”

No. 2 Buckfield backed up its ace by hustling for a run in the second and two more in the third.

Steve Brown hit Wetherell with a pitch to trigger the first rally. Wetherell later scored on an RBI single by Matt Lowell.

In the third, Jacob McAllister reached on an error, stole second, dashed to third on Brendan Harvey’s infield single and scored when Brown’s attempt to pick off Harvey sailed wide of first base.

Steve Abbott cracked an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Wetherell scored an insurance run in the sixth. He led off with a single, advanced on two wild pitches and scampered across the plate on Steve Abbott’s sacrifice fly.

Buckfield ran its way out of the second and fifth innings on failed squeeze bunt attempts. The Bobcats also turned a double play with the help of a line drive in the fourth.

“We feel we need to be aggressive,” said Williams. “We also stress putting the ball in play. You want to make them have to catch and throw.”

Chris O’Brien notched Richmond’s lone hit with a one-out double in the fourth. Wetherell encountered his first jam in that inning, exacerbated by three walks. Marson scored on an errant pickoff throw to third. O’Brien made it 3-2 on a passed ball.

Catcher Jeff Russell atoned for those two miscues by throwing out would-be base stealer Rob King after a leadoff walk in the sixth. Russell also went 2-for-3.

“There were a lot of big hits and big defensive plays,” said Wetherell. “We needed ’em.”

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