Bucktail cruises past Canton 10-2 to claim second district championship

By Bees O’Brien

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – Seniors Kayla Probert, Haley Burrows and Lily Francis showed exactly why senior leadership was important Tuesday in the PIAA District IV 1A championship against Canton. All three Lady Bucks would come up big in various moments, which would lead to Bucktail’s 10-2 championship victory over Canton. This would be the program’s second district title, the first coming in 2019.

Probert would be the first of the three seniors to step up. The number two seeded Lady Warriors were threatening in the top of the first inning. With two outs and two runners on, Probert would make a fantastic over the head catch to end the Canton rally.

Probert’s catch would swing momentum into Bucktail’s favor, which would continue throughout the game.

Mak Wagner’s 2-out single would start the rally. She would then be knocked in by Eva Sockman. Makenna Stone continued to play strong down the stretch for the Lady Bucks when she would loop a single into right field that would score Sockman and it appeared Stone would make her way around the diamond and score on an overthrow. During the confusion it was ruled to be a dead ball and Stone would be forced back to second base. The Sockman run still counted and Bucktail led 2-0 after one inning.

Mak Wagner would dazzle the Canton offense from the circle. Her 8 strikeouts for the game and a strong Bucktail defense would keep the Lady Warriors out of the game entirely.

Lily Francis would be beaned by a Keri Wesneski pitch, which was followed by a single from Kendall Wagner. This allowed Francis to move to third base. All-conference catcher Matti Mason would pull off the hit of the night with an infield squeeze bunt that would allow Francis to score from third and with Mason safe at first the rout was on.

Wagner, Mason and Probert would all score on a huge triple from Lola English. English would score on a triple from the very next batter up for Bucktail, Burrows.

Burrows would score on a Mak Wagner single to bring the score to 8-0.

Canton finally mounted some offense in the top of the sixth inning, by plating a pair of runs. The Lady Bucks would respond in their half of the inning.

Burrows and Mak Wagner would connect on back-to-back singles and both would then score on a Makenna Stone chopper to make the score 10-2

Mak Wagner and the Bucktail defense would mow down the Canton batters once again in the top of the seventh inning to seal the deal.

Burrows led the way for Bucktail with 3 hits, including a triple. Mak Wagner and Stone each delivered two hits, Lola English added a triple, Matti Mason had a bunt single and Eva Sockman, Kayla Probert, Kendall Wagner and Lily Francis all connected on hits.

Canton’s season ends at 13-9, while Bucktail (16-4) continues on. The Lady Bucks will now await the District 2/3 subregional contest against the winner between Old Forge and Halifax. The winner of that game will meet Bucktail in the first round of the PIAA 1A State Playoffs on Monday, June 5 at a District IV site yet to be determined.