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He looked pretty healed Thursday in his debut on the mound.

Woolford got an inning-ending strikeout to escape a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, then notched a strikeout with the potential tying and winning runs on base in the seventh, helping the Buccaneers secure a 5-4 victory over St. Michaels on a gray and chilly afternoon at Harold Baines Field.

“He came in and did his job,� St. Michaels head coach Brian Femi said of Woolford, who helped end the Saints’ six-game win streak. “I know he’d had some arm problems. Certainly wouldn’t know it. He came in cold. That was a big situation. I mean kudos to him. Came in, got the outs when he needed them.�

Kent Island (4-5 overall, 2-0 North Bayside) carried a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth. Starting right-hander Wyatt Offutt got Pearson Greenwood to line out to second to start the inning before Brennen Dean reached on a bad-hop single. Offutt got a called third strike on Nathan Spurry for the second out, but hit Lucas Greenwood with a pitch and walked Blake Wheatley, loading the bases.

Offutt walked Brock Grow, plating pinch-runner Eli Wallace, cutting the Bucs’ lead to 5-3. Woolford came on to relieve Offutt.

“He was ready to go,� said Kent Island assistant Scott Grossi of Woolford. “It’s not like we just put him in there for the heck of it. He was ready to go, and this was the time to put him in. He’s a senior. We felt he would be able to handle the situation.�

Woolford did just that.

The senior left-hander walked Ethan Royer to plate Lucas Greenwood, making it a one-run game, but then struck out Will Sherwood to end the rally.

St. Michaels (7-2, 1-1) wasn’t quite finished.

Connor Wheeler walked on a 3-2 pitch to lead off the seventh, and was advanced to second on Pearson Greenwood’s sacrifice bunt. Woolford got a called third strike on Eli Wallace for the second out. St. Michaels got the potential winning run on first when Spurry was hit by a pitch. But Woolford ended the threat there, getting a check-swing third strike on Lucas Greenwood to finish the game.

“Wasn’t really nervous until the last two pitches,� said Woolford, who got the save. “Just trying to throw strikes.�

As was Offutt, who allowed four runs, four hits, five walks, and struck out four over 5 2/3 innings until running into trouble in the sixth.

“I thought he was one of the better pitchers we’ve faced this year,� Femi said of Offutt, who earned the win. “He changed speeds early, had a lot of life on his fastball. I thought he threw a great game.�

St. Michaels took a 2-0 lead in the third, as Grow and Wheeler each doubled and scored on low, outside deliveries that got away from the catcher.

But the Saints couldn’t push anything else across until the sixth.

“Wyatt’s been doing well all year,� Grossi said. “He was throwing strikes with his fastball, with his slider, off-speed stuff. And the defense was making the plays for him. And that’s the big thing for us. Throw strikes, make the plays on defense, and timely hitting. That’s all it takes. Sounds easy, but it’s not easy.�

Grow held the Bucs to no runs and three hits through four innings before the Bucs broke through for five runs in the fifth with two outs.

The Saints right-hander walked Aiden Bonds then hit Matt Fisher with a pitch. Myles Harmon fouled off a bunt attempt on a 3-2 pitch for the first out. Grow fanned Kevin Coe but walked Jack Grossi, loading the bases. Offutt followed with a two-run single to the right-center field gap. Woolford reached on an infield single that plated Jack Grossi with the go-ahead run. Brady Hart singled sharply to right, scoring Offutt for a 4-2 lead. Derek Grossi then belted double to the right-field fence, bringing in Woolford for a 5-2 lead.

“We didn’t get the hit with men on base,� Femi said. “They got their hits with men in scoring position, we didn’t. That was pretty much the game.�

It was Kent Island’s second straight win.

“They’ve been battling all year,� said Scott Grossi, who was filling in for head coach Brendan Schulte. “Some things didn’t go our way either on offense or defense, but they’ve continued to battle. And today we were able to string together a couple hits in that one inning to get a bunch of runs. And Wyatt Offutt and Traise Woolford pitched a heckuva game.�