Lady Bucks cruise to 9-0 in tune-up before Thursday trip to Montgomery

By Bees O’Brien

FARWELL, PA- Bucktail entered their Tuesday Mid Penn Conference cross-divisional contest against Columbia Montour Vo-Tech with hopes of tuning up their offense before their monumental clash with defending district champions Montgomery on Thursday. What Bucktail got was some very sloppy pitching from the opposing Lady Rams, which created a tough situation for the Lady Bucks at the plate.

Lady Rams pitching threw very few strikes. Wild pitches went every which way to the point that several Bucktail hitters would take swings at pitches nowhere near the strike zone in hopes of getting a possibly hittable pitch. Six Bucktail batters would be hit by pitches and five more would be walked. This culminated in an 11-1 victory for Bucktail and putting them at 9-0, with their biggest test of the season looming on Thursday.

Bucktail did have some hits. The few pitches that were close were belted and senior Jordan Burrows began the Lady Bucks’ day with a leadoff single to start the game. She and niece Haley Burrows would both score on a Mak Wagner triple, before four straight Lady Bucks would be hit by pitches. Both Wagner and Matti Mason each crossed the plate during the wild pitching spree in the first inning to give Bucktail the 4-0 lead.

Bucktail scored again in the bottom of the third. Mason reached base on a walk and eventually stole her way around the bases to give the home team the 5-0 lead.

Wagner, who was making her third straight start on the circle was once again on target. Silencing the Lady Rams for three straight innings., keeping them hitless. Wagner collected 9 strike outs before being relieved by Jordan Burrows.

Bucktail’s Haley Burrows began the bottom of the fourth with a rocket to centerfield that sailed over the head of a CMVT defender. Burrows was already rounding second base by the time the ball hit the ground and cruised in for a triple. Wagner would knock in Burrows with a double. Lily Francis then would be plunked for the second time in the game and reach base. Mason would walk and she and Francis would each score on a Raileigh Isaacs ground out to second to give Bucktail the 9-0 lead.

The Lady Rams did mount a small rally in the top of the fifth inning by eventually scoring on a forced walk, but Bucktail would finish things off with 2 more runs in their half of the fifth to set the final at 11-1.