Bucks Finish 11-5, Set for Playoffs
by Jim Morgan
FARWELL – Bucktail Baseball (11-5) has been working hard all season and finished their final week on top as they received the #3 seed in District 4 Class A play-offs. Not only did they receive a good seeding, but were to host their first baseball play-off game on Wednesday against #6 seed St. John Neumann.
This will be a great rematch as they split the regular season games, St. John winning the first game 17-4 as the Bucks won the second game 4-2. The winner will move on to face #2 seed Line Mountain on Saturday at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport starting at 11:00 AM. The District 4 championship game is scheduled for next Wednesday May 28th at Bowman Field starting at 4:00 PM. Bucktail’s last time in the play-offs was in 2009 as the #8 seed and upset the #1 seed Muncy.
Last week was busy for the Bucks as they battled in five games in five days, starting last Tuesday as they traveled to Montgomery and losing 11-1 in five innings. Chuck Probst, Tony Saltsman and Kevin Probst were the only Bucks able to get singles. Trent Risley scored in the third inning after a fielder’s choice and hit home plate on an error throw to third base. Bucktail was able to hold Montgomery to just two runs in the first three innings until they scored nine runs in the fourth inning.
On Wednesday the Bucks were on the road again to Millville as they were struggling at the plate with only four hits as Millville won 7-2. Millville jumped on the Bucks with three runs in the first inning as they had a 6-0 lead going into the top of the sixth inning. Bucktail was able to get two runs across the plate. Risley led off with a single as he scored from a Chris Spencer single to right field. Kevin Probst smashed a double to leftfield then Derrick Long had a beautiful sacrifice bunt to score Spencer. Risley was 2 for 4 in the game as Millville added one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning for the final score.
Bucktail was home on Thursday against Benton, the game stopped in the bottom of the fourth inning because of rain. Bucktail was leading at the time 5-1. The game would not be continued because there was no place to finish it on the calender. In the first inning, C. Probst scored off a Saltsman sacrifice bunt. Second inning was led off with a K. Probst single and walking Derrick Long; Ryan Prebble’s line drive single to right centerfield for a RBI. Then C. Probst walked with bases loaded for a run. Third inning saw K. Probst smash a double as he scored again from a Prebble single to left centerfield. Benton did score a run in the top of the third inning. Bucktail would be scoring again in the fourth inning as Saltsman’s single had Risley hitting home plate before the steady rains came as the game was called.
K. Probst and Prebble both were 2 for 2 in the game. C. Probst and Collin Burrows were walked both times during their time in the batter box.
Saturday Sullivan County came to Bucktail for a doubleheader. Bucktail wasted no time on ending the first game as they won 15-0 in three innings. Then in the second game, it was six innings before the game would end as the Bucks won 16-5. Every player in the line-up for Bucktail hit the ball hard as they combined for 30 hits in both games. Risley was 7 for 8 on the day with a homerun, triple, double and four singles. C. Probst was 4 for 6 on the day also with a homerun, two doubles and a single. Spencer was 3 for 5 as he hit three singles. Prebble was 2 for 3 with a double and single, Dalton Louey at two hits on the day with a double and single. These were the top hitters on the day as every Buck player had at least one hit during the game. At the end of the day, the Bucks knew they sealed the #3 seed in playoffs. Now it was waiting for the outcome on whom they would play.
