Bucks out hit Benton in 17-8 home loss
By Bees O’Brien
FARWELL- Head coach Casey Friese was proud of his Bucktail baseball teams improvements on Wednesday afternoon against District IV 1A title contenders Benton.
The Bucks swatted out 14 hits to the Tigers’ 13, but a huge 9-run second inning from Benton proved to be the difference in Bucktail’s 17-8 Mid Penn loss.
Benton jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but Bucktail stormed back behind a left center shot from Keller Friese that went over the fence for the sophomore’s first home run of the season. Friese collected three hits on the day and was just a single shy of hitting for the cycle.
A 2-run first inning had Bucktail heading in the right direction until the Tigers racked up the 9 second inning runs. The Bucks managed to continue to do well on offense and rallied to score 4 runs in their next two at bats, but a 4-run Benton surge in their half of the fourth inning built a 14-5 lead that only grew to 15-5 following a lone run in the fifth inning.
The facing the possibility of falling by mercy rule wasn’t an option for Bucktail. The Bucks would twice avoid an early defeat by scoring runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth inning to help set the 17-8 final.
Teagan Stone and Xander Shearer each collected a pair of hits to go along with Friese and Gavin Pick’s three-hit performances. Gary Whipp collected a double, Nick Dennis added a single to go along with hits from Cael Dorman and Tyler Hillyer.
Austin Mosher took the loss on the hill, despite striking out 3 batters and allowing just 5 earned runs.
The Bucks are scheduled to travel to Millville on Friday if the weather permits. That game will be the night before the first annual Bucktail baseball tournament is set to take place.
That tournament will see the Bucks open in the semifinals against Northern Potter at 11am. Fellow Clinton County squad Sugar Valley is set to follow the Bucks and Panthers when they meet Canton.
