Lady Bucks with Wild Walk-Off Win over Galeton

AdminMay 24, 2019Last Updated: May 28, 2019

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WILLIAMSPORT – You had to see it to believe it. The Friday District 4 semifinal game between top-seed Bucktail and number four seed Galeton was a back-and-forth affair with an unbelievable finish, the Lady Bucks coming home with a hard-earned, come-from-behind 9-8 extra inning win.

The victory put Bucktail at18-2 and thrust coach Mike Poorman’s team into the District 4 Class A final on Thursday, May 30, at the Moser Complex in Turbotville, the opponent Montgomery (17-3), game time 4:30 p.m. No matter the outcome of that contest, both those teams will move into the PIAA playoffs.

The win over Galeton had enough thrills and ups-and-downs for a season. Bucktail staggered out of the gate, the Tigers posting six runs in the top of the first. But Bucktail would not be denied, getting one back in the bottom of the inning on a walk to Jordan Burrows who scored on a single from Emily Cross, the first of Cross’s team-leading three hits.

Galeton added a run in the top of the third to make it 7-1, but Bucktail got back in the game in the bottom of that inning with five runs. Emma Intallura singled and Burrows got on base on a fielder’s choice. Cross singled in Intallura and another run scored on an error. Myka Poorman singled in Burrows, Tessa Cowfer brought in a run with a sacrifice fly and Kayli Casper finished the scoring with an RBI single.

Galeton picked up a run in the top of the fifth and took an8-7 lead into the bottom of the seventh and final inning. Bucktail would not be denied. With one out Casper worked a walk, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single from Sara Kepler, making it 8-8 and sending the game to extra innings.
Then it got crazy.

Galeton put up a major threat in the top of the eighth. Brielle Kalacinski drilled a triple to open the inning. That brought up Katie Pagano who put down a bunt fielded by Bucktail third baseman Emma Poorman. She fielded the ball cleanly and faked a throw to first. Seeing the fake, Kalacinski started up the line. Shortstop Cross came after to cover the third base bag and Poorman threw her the ball; Cross chased Kalacinski, made a dive and tagged her out. From her knees, Cross then threw a strike to second baseman Cowfer who tagged out Pagano who had rounded first and headed for second.

Instead of a run in and a runner on, Galeton had two outs and nobody on base. Pitcher Myka Poorman got the next batter on a fly ball and Bucktail escaped the top of the inning without giving up a run. Asked his thoughts about the double-play sequence, coach Poorman said, “I lost my mind there.”

Bucktail wasted little time in earning the win in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff hitter Burrows singled to center and then stole second base, the winning run on second with no one out. Emily Cross went down swinging but during that at bat Burrows took off for third. She slid into the bag and the throw from the catcher to the third baseman was dropped but the umpire did not see that and called Burrows out. Coach Poorman asked the home plate umpire for assistance and after the officials talked, the call was reversed, Burrows called safe, which prompted the ninth grader to jump up and down on the bag. The game ended a moment later when Myka Poorman drilled a hard groundball to the Galeton shortstop who bobbled the ball, allowing Burrows to score the winning run, setting off bedlam among the hundreds of Bucktail fans who had made the trip to Elm Park.

Coach Poorman was asked later if he had told Burrows to try and steal third. He said he did not, but said he asked her why she tried that and she replied, “I don’t know.” But it worked and Bucktail plays for the D-4 title next Thursday.

Even with the first inning 6-run deficit, Poorman said he knew his team would hit and talked of the squad’s character, how they “cheer for each other…and pecked away and pecked away and pecked away” until securing the win.

Cross had two singles and a double plus two RBIs to pace the Buck offense, Myka Poorman with two singles and four runs batted in. Single hits came from Burrows, Casper, Sara Kepler and Intallura, Cowfer with a sacrifice fly.

Myka Poorman picked up the win with 7 and 2/3 innings of six hit, three run relief work, two of the runs earned. She struck out five and walked three.

Montgomery advanced to next week’s title game with a walk-off, 6-4 win over Northeast Bradford, earning the victory with a 3-run homerun from Taylor McCray with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Montgomery and Bucktail split two regular season meetings.