Neumann fights off upset-minded Buck baseball

By Bees O’Brien

WILLIAMSPORT, PA- St. John Neumann entered their Wednesday  home Mid Penn Conference game against Bucktail at one game under the .500 mark. That meant that the defending District 4 1A champions were in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. A loss to one-win Bucktail would surely set back their title defense plans.

Meanwhile Bucktail was in the midst of a 10-game slide and had nothing to lose and they almost nearly escaped the losing side of things for once. An energized top of the fifth brought in 3 runs and gave the Bucks a shocking 5-3 lead, but the Golden Knights would take advantage of 11 Bucktail walks and 5 errors to mount a sixth inning comeback to seal the deal. St. John Neumann would cross 5 runs in that inning, hold the Bucks in the top of the seventh and escape Brandon Park with an all-important 8-5 win.

Bucktail (1-11) fell to Neumann (6-6) in Farwell earlier this season 20-9.

Four Bucktail hitters collected multiple hit days, in a game that the Bucks pitching allowed just 1 hit.

Kyler Friese, Kayden Friese, Brett Mason and Ethan Kalafut all collected two hits each. The Friese brothers both registered a double on the day.

Naz Dymeck was the lone Knight to collect a base hit.

St. John Neumann’s push towards the post season will begin immediately as they will play six games in 7 days. Bucktail, who has long since been eliminated from postseason will be back in action on Thursday afternoon when they host conference leading Muncy at 4:30