KEVIN RAUCH/For the Express Montgomery catcher Lincoln Miller forces Bucktail’s Levi Stevenson out at home before firing the ball down to first to complete a double play during Friday’s baseball game at Bucktail.

After over a week of postponed games due to spring rain, the Bucktail baseball team finally returned to action on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a downpour of offense from the Montgomery Red Raiders that led to a game that was never in question.

It is going to be one of the defining stories of this season for the Bucks’. The Casey Friese coached team boasts a ton of underclassmen with offensive and fielding potential all over the field as they will try to compensate for those same young pitching arms that will spend much of the season looking for their groove.

A juggernaut like the Red Raiders just proved too much on a day like this as they rolled up a 21-1 win needing just 5 innings of action. Montgomery collected ten hits, three from Briar Persing, one a homerun, but also capitalized on twelve walks from the Bucktail young arms.

After Montgomery jumped out to a 4-0 lead, Bucktail tried to make a game of things in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitters Angelo Tarantella and Levi Stevenson each connected a pair of hits and Tarantella would eventually score. However, with the bases loaded and one out, Montgomery turned an impressive double play as third baseman Gage Furman fielded a grounder, threw a dart to catcher Lincoln Miller, who fired off to first base for 6-2-3 double play to get out of the inning and never looked back.

Briar Persing was vicious from the plate, the bruising hitter went three for four including the long ball as he knocked in 8 RBI, single handedly putting the game out of reach. After the early run given up by Monty pitcher Mason Bryson, the hurler allowed just one more hit in the next 3 scoreless innings.

Montgomery improved to 3-1 as they prepare to host South Williamsport on Monday, the Bucks dropped 0-2 as they head to Norther Potter on Monday.

Montgomery 21, Bucktail 1

(5 INNINGS)

Montg. 4 2 5 1 9- 21 10 2

Bucktail 1 0 0 0 0- 1 3 3

Montgomery batting: Briar Persing 3 for 4, 2 runs, 8 RBI; Brody Denton 2 for 3, run, RBI; Cooper Roman 2 for 3, 2 hits, 3 runs; Gage Furman 1 for 3, 3 runs, RBI; Chase Bennett 0 for 0, run, RBI; Parker Persing 0 for 3, 2 runs; Ethan Hugar 0 for 0, run; Lincoln Miller 0 for 2, 2 runs; Mason Bryson 0 for 2, run; Caleb Parkyn 0 for 0- run; Brody Denton 1 for 2, run, RBI; Sam Springamn 0 for 2, 2 runs, RBI. Bucktail batting: Angelo Tarantella 1 for 3, run; Levi Stevenson 1 for 2; Thomas Craft 1 for 1.

Montgomery pitching: M Bryson (W) 4 IP, 3 hits, run, ER, 6 K, 0 BB. B Persing 1 IP, 0 hits, 3 K. Bucktail pitching: Tyler Hiller (L) 1.1 IP, 3 hits, 6 runs, 6 ER, 3 BB, K; Angelo Tarantella 1.2 IP, 3 hits, 5 runs, 3 ER, BB, K; Levi Stevenson 1 IP, 3 hits, 8 runs, 6 ER, 4 BB, K; Gavin Pick .1 IP, 3 hits, 8 runs, 6 ER, 3 BB; Cael Dorman .2 IP, I hit, 1 BB.