Wagner powers Lady Bucks to 11-1 key District IV win
By Bees O’Brien
FAREWELL- Mak Wagner came to play on Tuesday night. The Bucktail senior showcased her talents both in the circle and at the plate.
Wagner would launch a solo home run and fan 12 Sullivan County Lady Griffins in Bucktail’s critical 11-1 District IV 1A victory.
Sullivan County entered the game on a two-game slide following a 3-0 start. Back to back losses to Montgomery and Sayre had the Lady Griffins sitting currently in third place in the latest district power rankings and a win at Bucktail would have boosted them closer to the top spot currently held by Bucktail.
Mak Wagner would not allow it on this day. Wagner would mow down each and every Sullivan batter until the Lady Griffins finally would get a base runner in the top of the fifth inning.
It was business as usual for the district’s top offensive team in the first inning. Makenna Stone would start a Bucktail rally with a single. Eva Sockman would extend her current hit streak to 24 games on an RBI double that would score Stone. Curtesy runner Riley Salizonni would then be driven home by a Kendall Wagner double.
Bucktail led 2-0 after one inning and the Lady Bucks’ lead would grow in the second inning.
Lola English’s sac fly to score Alexis Lowery would give Bucktail a 3-0 lead, but it would be a big third inning that would seal the deal for the undefeated Lady Bucks.
Mak Wagner started a hot rally by Bucktail with a leadoff solo home run to left centerfield and Bucktail would never look back. Sockman, Kendall Wagner and Gigi Balchun would all reach base on singles. Balchun’s single would score Sockman. Wagner and Balchun would both score on a Matti Mason triple. Mason would then score on a Lola English single and English would then be knocked in by a double from Stone to give the Lady Bucks a 9-0 lead after three innings.
Facing the potential of a 10-run mercy rule loss, Sullivan County would come to life by collecting three fifth-inning singles and eventually scoring a run to extend the game, but it wouldn’t go much longer.
Mak Wagner would score the game’s final run on a Kendall Wagner walk-off double to set the final.
Kendall Wagner had a monster day at the plate for Bucktail by going 3 for 4 with a double and a pair of RBI’s. Sockman would also go 3 for 4 with 2 runs batted in. Mason collected a pair of hits and 3 runs batted in. Stone also had two hits, as did Gigi Balchun. Alexis Lowery and Lola English also collected 1 hit each for the Lady Bucks.
Bucktail, with weather permitting will now host Columbia Montour Vo Tech on Thursday.
