Lady Bucks heading back to district title game, state playoffs following 4-2 win
By Bees O’Brien
WILLIAMSPORT- The dream of a potential three straight PIAA District IV 1A titles remained intact for Bucktail. The Lady Bucks sprinkled four runs throughout the span of seven innings and used a strong defensive effort to down bitter rivals Montgomery 4-2 to advance to their third district finals in as many years.
Bucktail’s payback win negates two Lady Raider regular season wins over the Lady Bucks, one of which was a 17-7 win. It was Montgomery’s only second loss to a Mid Penn Conference opponent during the 2025 season.
Montgomery punched in the game’s first run in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.
Bucktail responded in the third inning with a pair of runs off of pitcher Ava Hartman. Bucktail finally figured out the Montgomery ace after falling twice to her during the regular season.
Junior Eva Sockman had a big day achieving 100 career hits with four hits, including a sixth inning shot that led to an Angel Kmetz RBI single to give Bucktail a 3-1 lead.
In the top of the seventh inning Bucktail continued to batter Hartman, so much so that Montgomery head coach was forced to pull her to close out the game.
Lola English popped a single and Kendall Wagner’s second hit of the morning drove in English to give the Lady Bucks a 4-1 lead heading into Montgomery’s final at bat.
Montgomery did make things interesting following a Gordner double and an RBI single from Addi Muhl to shrink the Lady Bucks’ lead to 4-2.
Carrie Ditty went to work. The Bucktail freshman’s pitch placement all game long was perfect and kept a very dangerous hitting team in check, including closing out the game in a tight situation. Ditty and her defense stopped Montgomery in the seventh to advance.
Ditty struck out 6 batters in seven complete innings in the circle.
Bucktail defense played top-notch ball all day. Stone, Kmetz and Riley Salizzoni all had key catches for outs.
Sockman’s four hits led Bucktail, with Wagner also collecting a multiple hit game with two hits. Stone, English and Kmetz also collected singles in the win.
Montgomery’s season ends with a 14-4 record. Bucktail improved to 11-7 on the season and now awaits the winner of Sullivan County and Northeast Bradford, which is being played as this story is being wrote.
That championship game is set for Tuesday at Elm Park at 4:30.
