Sickle’s gem eliminates Bucktail from playoffs
By Bees O’Brien
FARWELL- Karen Sickle was a thorn in Bucktail’s side in the 2023 state playoffs and on Monday the Old Forge ace would mow down 15 Bucktail batters and the visiting Lady Blue Devils would pound out 11 hits in their 6-3 victory over the Lady Bucks.
The victory will send Old Forge to a quarterfinal meeting against either defending state champions Tri Valley or Dock Mennonite in a game being played later this afternoon.
Old Forge began hot at the plate by jumping out to a 2-0 lead following a pair of hits, one of which was an RBI double from Meghan Marianelli. Marianelli would later score on an Ava Arnold single to give the Lady Blue Devils the lead at 2-0.
Bucktail responded and would threaten in their half of the inning with a Lola English walk. English would advance to third following a sacrifice bunt from Makenna Stone and a wild pitch. English would be stranded.
Old Forge would tack on another run in the top of third inning and Sickle continued to cruise from the circle.
Sickle’s no-hitter was finally broken up by a Mak Wagner single in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bucktail would punch in their first runs of the game when the very next batter Eva Sockman would deliver a two-run shot over the left field fence to bring Bucktail to within 1 run at 3-2.
The Lady Blue Devils continued to cross sporadic runs in the fifth and sixth innings to build a 6-2 lead.
Kendall Wagner would smash a shot to right field and collect a standup double to start a bottom of the seventh inning rally. Wagner would score on a Gigi Balchun sacrifice bunt to bring the Lady Bucks to within 3 runs at 6-3.
Sickle would close out the game with strike outs on Matti Mason and Alexis Lowery to end Bucktail’s season.
Matti Mason’s bunt single, Mak Wagner’s single, Eva Sockman’s home run and Kendall Wagner’s double were the only hits from Bucktail.
Marianelli’s 3 for 3 day and 3 hits from Arnold led Old Forge. Talia Piragas and Ava Davitt each collected two hits for the Lady Blue Devils.
The loss would set Bucktail’s season mark at 16-5. Old Forge will take their 19-5 record into the quarterfinals. This was the third time that Bucktail has fallen to the District 2 champions in the first round of the state playoffs.
