Bucks’ Walk Off to Snap Shockers Win Streak

Dean Barker
The Clover Hill Bucks added three runs in the last two innings to walk off the first-place New Market Shockers 6-5 on Tuesday, July 20. The win was the fourth in a row for the Bucks, and snapped a nine game win streak for the Shockers. Had New Market won, they would’ve clinched the #1 seed in the upcoming RCBL Playoffs.

With the win, the Bucks improved to 11-6, while the Shockers fall to 14-5. The Bucks are now just two games behind the Shockers for first place, with the Bucks having four games left, as opposed to two remaining for New Market.
 
Tucker Hrasky picked up the win to move to 2-0, striking out three in the final two innings. He relieved Kellen Hoover, who struck out seven and gave up three runs in six innings. Elijah Grogg gave up two runs in the seventh inning.

Matt House took the loss to fall to 1-2, giving up two runs in the last inning. He relieved Calvin Pastel, who gave up three runs and struck out eight in six innings. Cade Templeton gave up one run with four strikeouts in two innings.
 
The Shockers got started quickly, with a two run homer from Nick Goode in the top of the first, and Brayden Hovatter scoring on an error in the second to make the score 3-0.

Pastel kept the Bucks silent offensively, with a perfect game through two and a third innings, and a shutout through four. A Cole Jenkins RBI double in the bottom of the fifth made it 3-1. A grounder from Kevin Navedo and a single from Cody Swisher would each plate a run in the sixth to tie the game at three.

A single from Ty Bennet would drive in two in the seventh to make it 5-3. The Bucks would respond with a bases loaded RBI single from John Siciliano in the eighth to bring in one. A Cole Jenkins hit-by-pitch, which would have tied the game, was overturned, and the Bucks left the bases loaded.

Frankie Ritter led off the ninth with a single, but Goode grounded into a double play, and Luke Estep struck out to send the game into the bottom of the ninth.

Josh Eberly led off the ninth with a double off the top of the left field wall. Kirk followed up with a disputed infield single, and while first baseman Goode was disputing the call, Eberly came home to tie the game. Navedo and Drew Easter would strike out, and the Bucks would intentionally walk Ross French to get to Siciliano. That was their fatal flaw, as Siciliano would rip a single to right field to drive in Kirk and give the Bucks the win.

The Bucks left ten runners on base and had three errors, which led to two unearned runs. The Shockers left eight runners on base with one error, leading to an unearned run.
 
Siciliano went 2-4 with two RBIs. Jenkins went 2-4 with an RBI. Navedo went 1-5 with one RBI and two runs scored. Kirk was 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Eberly went 1-3 with two runs scored. Bryce Suters went 1-3 with a run scored. Easter was 1-5. The Bucks had a total of nine hits.

Goode was 1-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Bennet went 1-3 with two RBIs. Ritter went 1-4 with two runs scored. Brayden Hovatter was 1-3 with a run scored. Luke Keister was 1-4, and Estep was 1-5. Henry Delavergne scored a run. The Shockers were held to six hits.
 
After winning four games in a row, Siciliano is hopeful that the Bucks will able to snag the #1 playoff spot from the Shockers.

“You know, just playing clean baseball, playing full nine, guys pitch, guys field and hit, I like our chances,” Siciliano said.

The Bucks will travel to Montezuma to take on the third-place Braves at 7:30 pm tonight. The Shockers will host the Grottoes Cardinals on Friday, July 23 at 7:30 pm. 

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