Phoenix gets Senior Day victory over Bucktail 13-3
By Bees O’Brien
LOCK HAVEN, PA- Sugar Valley Rural Charter School was looking for redemption against Bucktail Thursday at Taggart Park in Lock Haven. The Phoenix dropped an earlier contest to the Bucks 13-12, in a game that was prematurely called due to darkness. Senior Day 2023 was the perfect day for the Phoenix to collect that payback and they did in a big way, 13-3 in five innings.
Seniors Gage Young, David Allison and Jordan Litz made the most of their efforts and were all honored before the game for their contributions to the Sugar Valley baseball program.
Bucktail began the game with the hot bats and Brett Mason led the charge with a single. Mason would then be driven in by Xander Shearer’s single. Shearer would then score on an Ethan Kalafut single to give Bucktail the 2-0 lead.
The Phoenix would rise in their half of the first inning and would never look back.
Lance Winchester got SVRC rolling in the first with an RBI single. Jordan Litz would knock in a run on another RBI single and the Phoenix would take the lead for good on a missed third strike, allowing Winchester to score from third base.
Up 3-2, Sugar Valley would tack on another run in the bottom of the second inning, but a 6-run third inning would put the home steam up 10-2.
The Bucks would add another run in the top of the fourth inning when Ethan Charcalla would score, but the Phoenix were destined to pull this one and they did so by forcing the mercy rule following a 3-run bottom of the fifth and set the 13-3 final.
Bucktail pitching held SVRC to just 5 hits, while they pounded out 11 hits themselves. 10 errors were the biggest factor in the loss.
Ethan Kalafut was swinging well for the Bucks. His three singles led all Bucktail hitters. Xander Shearer had a double. Brett Mason, Ethan Charcalla, Braylon Fantaski and Gary Whipp all had hits for the Bucks.
Gage Young led the way for the Phoenix with a double and a single. Jordan Litz and Jarron McCloskey also had hits for Sugar Valley.
The win improves Sugar Valley to 2-16 on the season. The Phoenix is scheduled to close out their season on Tuesday when they host Shamokin at Taggart Park.
Bucktail (1-14) will next be in action Saturday with a road trip to Northern Potter (1-7).
bucktail
