Bucks’ Friese delivers walk-off single in strange finish with SVRC

By Bees O’Brien

FARWELL, PA- The chants for “Noodles” are becoming more and more common from the Bucktail Bucks’ dugout and for good reason. Junior Kyler “Noodles” Friese is having himself a season behind the plate and at the plate for the Bucks.

Friese delivered often on Wednesday against visiting Sugar Valley Rural Charter School, going 4 for 4 on the day including a huge walk-off single to end the game at 13-12 in the bottom of the sixth inning. You read that correctly, the umpires would call the game following the sixth due to darkness with over an hour left of daylight. It was a tough break for the visiting Phoenix, who like the Bucks were in search of their first victory.

The nickname “Noodles” has stuck since his Little League days and his family, friends and teammates have embraced it.

“Basically from what my dad and I can remember, back in Little League we had another kid named Tyler and when somebody would say either one of our names we’d both answer. Kenny Pick came up with the name “Noodles” and it’s stuck since then, said Friese of his nickname.

So there you have it Bucktail fans the origin of “Noodles.”

Sugar Valley looked to be headed for their first victory in their top of the first by plating four runs and jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead.

In the Bucktail half of the inning it was Noodles taking over with his first hit of the afternoon, which would be followed up by a Braylon Fantaski hit. Both would be driven in by Brett Mason to narrow the gap to 4-2.

The Phoenix would again score four runs in the top of the second.

Trailing 8-2, Bucktail would not be phased. Their 5-run second inning found them now trailing just 8-7 heading into the third inning.

Freshman Xander Shearer would become Bucktail’s next pitcher in relief of Fantaski and he would find his groove. Shearer would retire the Phoenix side in his first inning of work.

Bucktail managed to tie things up in their half of the third inning with a single run, but back came the Phoenix.

Sugar Valley added another run in the fourth inning to take a slim 9-8 lead.

The bottom of the fourth inning would see Ethan Kalafut deliver a shot to reach base. Nahkai Scrimshaw would pinch run for Kalafut. Xander Shearer would help his own cause with an RBI double that would score Scrimshaw to give Bucktail a 10-9 lead.

The Bucktail bats kept rolling in the fifth inning following a Friese walk. Fantaski would knock in Friese with a double and then Fantaski would score on another Kalafut single to give the Bucks a 12-9 lead.

Again the Phoenix would rise in the top of the sixth inning. A Lincoln Breon RBI double would score Lance Winchester. Gage Lucas would deliver a shot that seemed to be enough to score Breon, but again Friese would step up and block home plate and get the would-be run out at home.

Sugar Valley did plate three runs in the top of the sixth and knotted things up at 12-12 and that would be when things would get strange during Bucktail at-bat.

Talan Ditty would get things rolling for Bucktail with his second single of the day. A few batters later, Friese would be at the plate and deliver his fourth hit of the game, which scored Ditty and to everybody’s surprise the game was suddenly over with the Bucks winning 13-12 in a shortened 6-inning contest.

Shearer was excellent on the mound. He would fan nine Phoenix batters in just 4 and 2/3 innings of work to get his first career varsity victory.

Friese knocked in three runs to go with his four hits on the day.

“We have three solid pitchers that we rely on and we need to back them up on defense.” Friese said following the win. “As long as we can keep our bats rolling, we have a chance.”

The bats were rolling for Bucktail on Wednesday. Bucktail accumulated a season-high 17 hits, led by Friese, who jumped his average up to an incredible .818.

Ethan Kalafut delivered three hits, Shearer, Fantaski, Mason and Ditty all collected two hits apiece. Jeremy Gallagher and Cameron Kolasa added a hit each.

Bucktail, now 1-3 on the young season will be back in action on Friday when they host Northwest (2-3).