When Bucksport stormed Coffin Field in Brewer to celebrate an 8-6 victory Saturday in the state softball final, Cape Elizabeth’s players rushed onto the diamond, too.

Cape pitcher Jackie Moran had grounded out to end the game, and her teammates were by her side, just beyond first base, within seconds.

It was a fitting display of solidarity.

After all, Moran’s right arm helped carry Cape Elizabeth to its first-ever Western Maine championship and, as a result, its first state championship game.

It was Moran who bounced on her toes while on the mound before every pitch of Cape’s playoff run and Moran who was credited with each of Cape’s 17 victories on the season.

Her teammates weren’t about to let their ace hang her head.

“We got here with pitching and defense, making the plays behind the pitcher,” coach Joe Henrikson said. “(Moran) throws strikes and we make the plays.”

Against Bucksport, the Western Maine champs weren’t able to make the plays, committing six errors behind their star pitcher. However, in never-say-die fashion true to this Cape team, they fought until the end.

After a scoreless first inning in which Moran sat the Golden Bucks down in order, Cape took the lead in the second when Rachel Budkiewicz lined a two-run single to center. Skye Jones, a courtesy runner for Moran, who had walked, and Whitney Legge, who had singled to right, both scored.

In what would become a recurring theme, Cape’s defense gave back those runs – and more – in the third inning, committing three errors that led to three unearned runs.

“We are very, very strong defensively,” Henrikson said. “I honestly was quite surprised how many errors we made.”

Still, the Capers battled back. With one out in the fifth, Lisa Wolanski tripled down the left field line. Then with two outs, Marla Houghton drove her in with a double deep to right-center field, tying the score at three.

After two errors helped put Bucksport ahead, 4-3, in the bottom of the inning, Cape answered with two runs of its own to regain the lead in the sixth. It was Budkiewicz – or “Weapon” as her teammates know her – who again came through in the clutch, lining a two-run double to left-center.

Budkiewicz finished the game 2-for-3 with four RBIs.

“She was (hitless) for the season up until the Gray game, which was probably the ninth game of the season, and she got a hit,” Henrikson said. “I told her ‘you hit, you hit.’ She fought her way back into the lineup and kept getting better and better. She started every playoff game, she was just phenomenal.”

Unfortunately for the Capers, the lead didn’t last.

An error, four singles and a mental miscue led to four Bucksport runs, putting Cape in an 8-5 hole to start the seventh inning.

Even then, the Western champs had one last gasp remaining.

With one out, Houghton launched a solo home run to left-center field, pulling her team within two.

“We threw a fastball to her and she ripped a single,” Bucksport coach Michael Carrier said. “We threw her a rise ball and she ripped a double, we threw a drop ball and she hit a home run.”

Houghton was greeted at the plate by a mob of teammates, letting out a yell of, “It’s not over,” as she stomped on home.

For two more outs, it wasn’t over. But Houghton’s homer was all Cape would muster in the seventh, as pitcher Terran Hall retired the next two batters, giving Bucksport its first state title in 16 years.

Cape finished with nine hits off Hall, who remained undefeated, 14-0, on the season.

“(Hall) is one of the premier pitchers in the state,” Carrier said. “I knew they played defense quite well, and I knew their pitcher was good. I didn’t expect them to hit as well as they did. That was one of the best hitting teams that I’ve seen and I really didn’t expect it.”

Henrikson was equally impressed with his team’s hitting performance.

“We didn’t quit,” he said. “That’s why we’re so tough. We did not quit. It was an awesome thing to be a part of, seeing the kids go up there fighting like they did.”

Cape reached the championship game by defeating Greely, 10-0, Thursday in the Western Maine final at St. Joe’s. Until that point, Greely had handed Cape its only two losses of the season.

After having its first seven batters retired in order, Cape scored four runs on four hits and three errors in the third inning and didn’t look back.

Moran allowed five hits, walking two and striking out two. It was her second shutout in a row, as she blanked Oak Hill with a no-hitter two days prior.

“This is our fourth team that I personally feel could get to this point,” Henrikson said. “Four years ago, five years ago we had the No. 1-seed and got bumped out early. You have to play at this level to be able to play at this level.”

Next season, almost all of Cape’s team will have played at the state-championship level. Only two players, Legge and Budkiewicz are seniors.

“Next year, they’re going to be tough,” Legge said. “Tough to beat.”

Regardless of how the Capers fair next season, their fans were grateful for this year’s historic success.

Saturday, with the field empty and the team filing quietly onto the bus for the ride home, Henrikson emerged from inside the Cape dugout, carrying a five gallon bucket of softballs.

What started as a few stray claps grew into full applause as fans, who had gathered behind the dugout to console the players, showed appreciation for the Capers’ coach.

Calls of “Thank you, Joe,” and “Great season, Coach,” followed Henrikson as he strolled towards the parking lot, raising his hand to acknowledge the supporters.

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