The group of seniors, including four four-year starters in Eva Sockman, Lola English, Makenna Stone and Kendall Wagner, along with Angel Kmetz and Hayleigh Dent, have been a key part in two district championships and a runner-up claim.

In what they hope is one final run at a successful postseason drawing nearer by the day, they capped off their Senior Day with a 15-0 win over Muncy on Thursday afternoon in Farwell, improving to 11-3 on the season.

Bucktail needed just four hits, two coming from Kendall Wagner, as they took advantage of 12 walks on their way to the win. Freshman pitcher Kelsie Wagner threw three innings of no-hit ball, striking out 7 from the mound.

This day though was bigger than one game. All eyes were on their players, whose days of playing together are nearing an end.

KEVIN RAUCH/Special to the Sun-Gazette Bucktail's Rebekah Conway slides safely under the tag of Muncy Sophie Maorana pitcher in the Bucks 15-0 win.

Their play, leadership and cohesion will be missed by Bucktail fans and coach Mike Poorman, as they exemplified success in both their play and contributions to the program and fellow teammates.

“They’ve just been a really good group to be around for a long time” said Poorman of his Bucktail seniors, having thoughts on each one of their careers – the majority of which he’s seen their junior high days.

“Eva is as complete of a player as you can get, a blue-collar athlete a total ‘steady Eddie’,” the coach said of Sockman. “She was a three-time first team third baseman but willingly moved behind the plate for us (as catcher) this year. No complaints, just puts her head down and goes to work, everything that she has done has ended with great results because of how she works.”

“Lola has been that utility player that has never once complained about where we put her, she has always been ‘team first,’ we will miss her versatility for sure,” Poorman said of English. “Every year we have had conversations with Lola on where we needed her to play, all of our girls are extremely committed and work hard, but since she was in 8th grade, Lola has not been outworked by anyone, that’s for certain.”

“Makenna is just a consistently demanding player of herself and that ultimately and finally paid off for her when she received the All-State nod last season,” the Bucktail play caller said of Stone. “I’m not so sure that she hasn’t put too much pressure on herself, but it’s a testament of her love of the game and her team that she just wants to be perfect on every single play.”

“Kendall is our grip it or rip it player, she’s going to crush the ball and up until this year I’d say miss the ball, but she’s batting over .720 so there hasn’t been many times this year that she has missed it” he said of his slugger, Wagner. “She’ll tell you softball isn’t her favorite sport, which makes how good she is even more crazy. If we need a light moment, Kendall has always been there to say something so crazy and make her teammates laugh and relieve the tension.”

“Angel at one point moved but came back to the team, and we wouldn’t be where we are without her,” Poorman said on Kmetz. “I’m not sure she does any single thing with perfect form, but she typically has come through with results or a big play when we’ve needed her to.”

“Hayleigh didn’t come out until her sophomore year; I’d have loved to have had her join back in junior high,” the coach said of his final senior. “Just the other night in our loss at Montgomery, their centerfielder was robbing us of hits all night. It was Hayleigh that came up to the plate and burnt her on a double; she’s gotten better each year that she has been with us.”

The Bucks will be at Cameron County (0-5) on Friday, as Muncy (1-12) will play at Lewisburg on Monday.

Bucktail 15, Muncy 0

(3 INNINGS)

Muncy 000 – 0 0 0

Bucktail 546 – 15 4 0

Top Bucktail hitters: Stone 2 BBs, 3 runs; English 3 BBs, 3 runs; Kendall Wagner 1-2, 3 runs, 4 RBIs, BB; Sockman 2 RBIs, BB; Kelsie Wagner 1-2, run, 2 RBIs, BB; Rebekah Conway 2 runs, 2 RBI, BB; Carrie Ditty RBI, BB; Dent RBI, BB; Kmetz 1-1, RBI; Kylie Lebo run, RBI, BB; Riley Salizonni run; Emma George run. Top Muncy hitters: Hailey Adams 0 for 1, BB; Sadie Odell BB; Emmalee Munsell BB.