BUCKFIELD — It was a move Richmond High School baseball coach Ryan Gardner felt he needed to make in a tight, rain-delayed game against top-seeded Buckfield in the Western Maine Class D semifinals on Friday.

Down 2-1 in the third inning, Gardner had Peter Lorbeski tag- up on short flyball to the outfield. Buckfield (15- 1) left fielder Dustin Damon threw a strike to the plate, with catcher Alan Lebel managing to make the tag on a leaping Lorbeski to end the inning.

“It was the right play, early in the game, and Peter can fly,” said Gardner, whose team fell 4-1 to end the season with a 6-11 record, sending the Bucks to the Western D final at St. Joseph’s College in Standish on Wednesday against Valley. “ These kids could have packed it in this year when they were one and 10, but something clicked and we rode it as long as we could.”

After a two- and- a- half hour rain delay, Buckfield jumped on top 2-0 in the first inning.

Bucks pitcher Cody White earned the mound win, striking out nine, allowing four hits, walking three and hitting a batter. Tyler Harrington went the distance for Richmond on two strikeouts, one walk and five hits.

Richmond clawed to within a run in the third as Dustin Sullivan scored on a White wild pitch.

But, the Bucks scored two unearned runs on pair of Bobcat errors in the fifth inning to put the game away.

“We made a couple mistakes, and down three runs it is tough to do the things we like to do, like bunt and run,” said Gardner.

Lorbeski, Ben Carver, Randy Moody and Sullivan each singled.

Dustin Damon doubled for Buckfield.