Miller’s seventh inning grand slam helps Montgomery down Lady Bucks, 17-7
By Bees O’Brien
FARWELL- Despite Eva Sockman going 3 for 4 at the plate with a pair of doubles and an RBI, Bucktail fell 17-7 to Montgomery in a battle of two District IV 1A title contenders.
The Lady Bucks clawed their way back from a 10-4 hole to pull within 3 runs at 10-7 before the Lady Red Raiders would pile on 7 runs in the top of the seventh inning. The Montgomery rally was highlighted by a Madison Miller grand slam over the centerfield fence.
Miller went 2 for 4 on the day with a double and 6 RBI’s to go with her seventh inning blast.
Montgomery started off the game hot by scoring 6 runs on freshman pitcher Carrie Ditty. The Lady Bucks didn’t back down and responded in their first at bat.
With two outs, Eva Sockman blasted an Ava Hartman pitch off of the left field fence, just a foot shy of clearing it. Kendall Wagner followed the Sockman hit with a walk. Sockman was then driven in by Matti Mason off of a an RBI single for Bucktail’s first run of the game.
Wagner scored on a bases loaded walk from Rebekah Conway. Mason crossed Bucktail’s third run on a passed ball and a slide at home for the score.
Bucktail trailed 6-3 entering the third inning and Eva Sockman’s run in the third inning shrunk Montgomery’s lead to 6-4.
The top of the fourth seen Montgomery pile on 4 more runs to build the 10-4 lead, and despite the Lady Bucks getting a single run from Makenna Stone in their half of the fourth inning they still trailed by 5 runs.
Back to back two-out singles from Lola English and Stone and an RBI double from Sockman resulted in Bucktail crawling to within 3 runs at 10-7.
Then Montgomery had that huge seventh inning behind Miller and company.
Starting Montgomery pitcher Ava Hartman collected two doubles, while fanning 8 Bucktail batters to help her team improve to 4-0 on the season and hold on to the top spot in District IV 1A.
English, Stone and Wagner all added to Bucktail’s 6 hits with singles. The Lady Bucks forced 7 errors and allowed 9 walks in the contest.
Bucktail, now 1-3 will now hit the road to face a Muncy team that downed Sugar Valley on Tuesday 22-1.
