Lady Bucks rally late, defeat Warrior Run 7-4
TURBOTVILLE, PA – Bucktail head coach Mike Poorman wanted to up his program’s strength of schedule. The new addition of 3A Warrior Run out of the Heartland II was surely an upgrade and the perfect test he needed as his team gears up for the PIAA District 4 1A playoffs next week.
The Lady Defenders are surely battled tested despite entering the contest at just 4-10. They nearly upset South Williamsport, only losing 11-8. They’ve also played a schedule that consists of state power Central Columbia and District 4 powers Loyalsock, Lewisburg, Montoursville and Bloomsburg. They’ve also fell to Mid Penn powers Montgomery and Muncy.
Warrior Run is a big school, much larger than Bucktail. Warrior Run has 184 girls grades 9 thru 12 compared to Bucktail’s 48 in the latest cycle of the PIAA classifications, but the Lady Bucks never took notice to all of that on Tuesday night.
Bucktail overcame a late 4-1 deficit to rally in the last three innings and eventually secure the 7-4 win.
Warrior Run (4-11) rode the arm of their outstanding pitcher Kaelyn Watson to build the 4-1 lead. Bucktail’s only offensive spark would a be a second inning home run from senior Emma Poorman.
Bucktail (16-2) would score a run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth inning, thanks in part from a home run from Mak Wagner.
Wagner would then come on in the sixth inning to shut down the Lady Defenders offense. Bucktail’s offense came alive in the top of the seventh by scoring three runs. Kayla Probert would score on a stolen base at home to give Bucktail the go-ahead run at 5-4. Two more runs later and the Lady Bucks held a comfortable lead at 7-4 heading into Warrior Run’s final at bat.
Wagner again would shut down the Lady Defenders, as Bucktail would go on to pick up their first-ever win over a Pennsylvania Heartland Conference opponent, 7-4.
Kaelyn Watson and Warrior Run’s defense was outstanding against the heavy hitting Lady Bucks. She held Bucktail to just 4 base hits, but the home runs from Poorman and Wagner would be costly.
Bucktail starting pitcher Emma Poorman allowed just 4 hits and struck out 6 in 5 innings of work.
Wagner and Poorman led the Bucktail offense with the home runs. Kayla Probert and Matti Mason each had singles as well for the Lady Bucks.
Bucktail will finish up their regular season on the road at Williamson (5-13). With the win, the Lady Bucks can tie the 2019 District Championship team with most regular season victories.
