Freshman pitcher Carrie Ditty pitched the 100th strikeout of her career and junior Lola English surpassed 100 runs in just her third season, as the Bucktail softball team gave it all it had in a hardfought, 3-2 loss on the road at one-loss Montgomery. In a neck-and-neck pitcher’s duel, the Bucks took a 1-0 lead in the first and upped it to two runs in the sixth, but three unanswered Montgomery runs – including a walk-off in the seventh – from there was the difference.

Ditty pitched a solid game nonetheless, overcoming a rough first matchup against the Red Raiders and posting five straight scoreless innings to start. She finished with four strikeouts while scattering five hits, allowing one earned run and issuing a single walk. On the other end, Montgomery junior Ava Hartman struck out ten to zero walks, as the game featured a combined one walk and three earned runs.

Offensively, four Bucks logged hits and English (1-3, 2B) and Makenna Stone contributed the team’s lone runs. Matti Mason attributed its own RBI. For Montgomery, Madyson Miller and Delilah Prietz logged RBIs, Prietz, Arianna Snyder and Cali Barnes picked up the team’s runs and five players logged hits.

Despite landing one step closer to a District 4 Class A playoff bid, defeating Canton in extra innings to kick off Wednesday’s baseball doubleheader, Sugar Valley fell just short of sweeping the day and keeping its chances alive another day, suffering a heartbreaking 8-7 loss to the Warriors. After a 4-4 first, Canton got out to a 8-4 lead heading into the sixth before the Phoenix got within one in the bottom of the inning, but the Warriors would hold firm from there.

Freshman Brody Swanger was a standout from both the mound and plate on the day, allowing just four combined runs through 7 1/3 innings pitched and helping the team overcome defensive struggles in both games. From the plate, he attributed six hits combined, going 4-of-5 in Game One with two doubles to lead the Phoenix to victory. Alongside Swanger, Lincoln Breon and Bentley Andrus logged multiple hits in both games.

With the loss, Sugar Valley drops to 7-10 on the season, officially being eliminated from playoff contention.

SOFTBALL

Montgomery 3, Bucktail 2

BUCK 100 001 0 – 2 4 3

MTG 000 001 2 – 3 5 1

Carrie Ditty and Matti Mason. Ava Hartman and Addi Muhl. W – Hartman. L – Ditty.

Top Bucktail hitters: Lola English 1-3, 2B, run; Matti Mason 1-3, RBI; Kendall Wagner, Carrie Ditty 1-3. Top Montgomery hitters: Delilah Prietz 1-3, RBI, run; Madisyn Miller 1-3, RBI; Jenna Houseknecht 1-3, BB; Arianna Snyder, Cali Barnes run.

BASEBALL

Sugar Valley 7, Canton 3 (GAME ONE)

(8 INNINGS)

SVRC 102 000 04 – 7 16 2

CAN 000 120 00 – 3 11 3

Bentley Andrus, Brody Swanger (4), Layden Bryan (7) and Dakoda Jodun. W – Swanger.

Top Sugar Valley hitters: Brody Swanger 4-5, 2 2Bs, 2 RBIs, run; Lincoln Breon 3-4, 2B, 3 RBIs; Bryer Martin 3-5, 2B, 2 runs; Bentley Andrus 2-4, 2B; Tobias Conoway 2-3, run.

Record: 7-10 (5-8 Mid-Penn)

Canton 8, Sugar Valley 7 (GAME TWO)

CAN 420 101 0 – 8 14 0

SVRC 400 003 0 – 7 12 0

Layden Bryan, Bentley Andrus (1), Brody Swanger (4) and Dakoda Jodun. L – Bryan.

Top Sugar Valley hitters: Lincoln Breon 2-4, 2B, 3 RBIs; Bentley Andrus 2-4, 2B, run; Brody Swanger 2-4, RBI, run; Dakoda Jodun 2-3, RBI, run.