A 13-run seventh inning propels South softball vs. Bucktail | News, Sports, Jobs

PHOTO PROVIDED South Williamsport first baseman Abigail Lorson stretches out to grab a throw and force an out against Bucktail’s Eva Sockman.

It was a match-up of two-loss teams as Bucktail (10-2) hosted South Williamsport (11-2) on Wednesday in a game that appeared to be going down to the wire.

Buckail trailed by just a run heading into the seventh inning when the Mounties turned the game on its head and erupted for a ten-run final inning, claiming a 13-2 victory.

South had led 3-0 heading into the sixth when the Bucks found a spark, starting in the top of the frame. Bucktail shortstop Makenna Stone ran deep from short toward center to grab a ground ball with a runner on. Stone snared the roller, sprinted to the tag at second before firing a dart to first to turn his unassisted double-play.

With the Bucks feeling the momentum from Stone’s highlight they got two on for Kendal Wagner in the bottom of the sixth who quickly delivered a double to the gap into right-center, picking up a pair of RBI and getting her team within one at 3- 2.

South answered with a hammer.

Mikiaya Hills reached on an error and scored on an Alizabeth Schuler two RBI double. Despite the quickness that South quickly led 5-2, it was more the power that put things away.

The Mounties led 7-2 with two outs when sophomore Maddie Pinkerton hit a laser over the fence, with the two-run home run moving the score to 9-2. Following a Gianna Goodman RBI double and a Bucktail error, Schuler walked to the plate for the second time in the inning.

Schuler hit this one further than her first at bat in the final inning, as this one soared over the left-centerfield fence, putting an exclamation point on the dramatic 13-2 contest.

“That made us better today, I mean, we just took a state caliber championship team 3-2 into the sixth inning” Bucktail coach Mike Poorman said, quickly using the set back as a learning experience. “Once again though, we had an inning where we gave them four or five outs in one inning and you see what happens, they pass the bat every time.”

“Everyone on that team can hit the long ball, when you have the plays to make, against a team like that, you have to make the plays or you end up giving up ten runs” Poorman said. “Overall we don’t play too many teams like that, the outfielders got some good work which they really haven’t had all season long, we just look to get better at it, that’s it.”.

Bucktail is coming off of their hardest four-game stretch where they went 1-3, but faced a pair of Class AA teams in South and Muncy as well as West Branch, who moves to AA next season. The Bucks will get back into league action on Monday when they host Sugar Valley.