BUCKFIELD — Jeff Pepin beat the throw home on an infield grounder with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to cross the plate with the winning run, putting an exclamation point on Buckfield’s nail-biting, two-game sweep of Greenville Saturday in Class D baseball action.

With the bags full, Trevor Averill grounded the ball to the left side. With the runners in motion, Pepin scampered home with the winning run. Cody White paced the Bucks’ offense in the second game with a pair of hits, and Jonah Williams earned the win on the mound in the second game with a nine-strikeout performance, holding the Lakers to only five hits.

Matt DeAngelo led Greenville with a double, and Steve Bilodeau pitched well in a complete-game effort despite the loss, striking out seven.

In the first game, Dalton Hart ripped the go-ahead single in the bottom of the fourth and the team’s defense made it stand up in a 2-1 victory. Alan Lebel ran home with the winning run. Cody White struck out 10 in the win.

Softball

Bucks sweep Lakers

BUCKFIELD — Brianna Darling scattered 10 hits and one run over 14 innings of work as Buckfield swept Greenville with wins of 6-0 and 6-1 in Class D softball action Saturday.

Darling had eight strikeouts in the first game, while allowing seven hits and walking four. In the second, she fanned six Greenville batters and issued only three walks in the victory.

Sam Zak led the way for the Bucks (8-6) with a pair of hits in the opener, while Elizabeth Strout was a force in game 2, with a pair of singles and two RBI.

Colleges

Bates wins silver in rowing

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. — For the fourth straight year, the Bates College women’s rowing team has finished as the national runner-up, second only to Williams, with a brilliant performance in two Grand Finals on Saturday morning at the 2012 NCAA Division III Women’s Rowing Championships.

Bates’ first varsity eight was edged by Williams for first place and held off William Smith to win the silver medal. Williams finished in 6:31.98, followed by Bates in 6:34.14.

Bates’ second eight beat out Wellesley for second place, rowing the distance in 6:58.34 with Wellesley third in 7:01.85. Williams again proved to have the superior second eight, claiming the gold medal in 6:49.74.

Bates’ first varsity was led by senior captains Allison DiSalvo and Haley Sive, as well as senior varsity eight crew members Kelsey Dion and Elizabeth Sonshine. Also driving Bates’ first eight were Mallory Ward, Hope King, Alexandra Hill, Heather Monty and coxswain Gabriella Bilotta.

Bates’ second varsity comprised Jenna Armstrong (bow), Elizabeth Sangree, Lauren Hadiaris, Rachel Ellis, Amy Jacks, Sarah murhpy, Eliza Barkan, Aisling Ryan (stroke) and coxswain Molly Huffaker. Also making the trip as alternates were coxswain maggie Carey, Taylor Kniffin and Caroline Webb.

Pless places 4th in shot put

CLAREMONT, Calif. — Bates junior David Pless won his sixth career All-America honor on Saturday, and his second of the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, by placing fourth in the shot put.

Pless, who was third in the discus throw on Thursday, was in eighth place among 20 competitors after the two preliminary flights, but vaulted into fourth place on his penultimate effort of 17.21 meters. On his final attempt, Pless put the shot 17.74 meters, or 58-2.5, his best mark this outdoor season. Paul Davis of McMurry won at 60-10.5.

As a six-time All-American, Pless has moved out of a tie with Peter Goodrich and John Fitzgerald, and now has the most men’s indoor and outdoor track and field combined All-America awards in Bates history. Adding in cross country, Justin Easter also claimed six All-America awards, and he was also a one-time All-Americac in Nordic skiing.

Pless’s 11 team points scored at the meet put Bates in a four-way tie for 20th place out of 82 scoring teams, tied with St. Thomas (Minn.), Wisconsin-River Falls and Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Bates’ memorable outdoor season included team championships at the State of Maine, NESCAC and ECAC Division III championships.

Earlier on Saturday, Bates junior Andrew Wortham finished 10th out of 14 runners in the finals of the 3,000-meter steeplechase, with a time of 9:19.40, 1.38 seconds ahead of 11th-place Brandon Abasolo of Williams.

Wortham was the 10th seed at the outset of the event, before Thursday’s prelims.

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