Bucs come out on the right side of extras

SIMULATED NEW YORK — It was fitting that Tuesday night’s simulated softball game between the Xenia Buccaneers and Legacy Christian Knights was played in Yankee Stadium, because late great Yanks catcher Yogi Berra summed up the contest with one of his famous quotes.

“It was deja vu all over again.”

Just a day after the Buccaneers baseball team lost a tough 9-7 loss in extra innings, the softball Bucs also went extras … but with a better result.

Xenia (3-0) scored twice in the top of the 11th inning to claim a 9-7 win Tuesday April 28 over Legacy Christian.

The Bucs opened up with a solo home run from Caity Moody over the right field fence, but Legacy responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 4-1 Knights lead.

Victoria Howarah singled to left to score Knights teammates Rachel Griffith and Sydney Sylvester. Howarah and Kiley Mach then both scored on a Hannah Barber single.

Xenia pulled within two runs of LCA in the fifth inning when Ciera Lloyd walked, stole second then scored on Jada McAvene’s single to left.

The Bucs then grabbed the lead with a three-run seventh. Megan Huffman scored from third on an infield groundout, then Sydney Smith tripled into the right centerfield gap to bring home MacAvene and Lindsey Findley. Xenia added an insurance run in the ninth when Smith doubled to score Logan Jackson, bringing the Bucs lead to 6-4.

But just as the baseball Bucs lost a ninth-inning lead, the softball Bucs did the same.

Legacy (1-1) connected on three consecutive hits by Paige Daughtrey, Anne Kensinger and a Barber RBI, and two other Knights got on base with walks before Xenia was able to get a double play to end the inning.

Both teams scored in the 10th.

Huffman reached on an outfield error, then scored on Lloyd’s single to right to give Xenia a brief 7-6 lead.

The Knights countered with a Kensinger single that scored Victoria Howarah from second.

Xenia got the lead for good in the 11th, however.

Bailey Oliver singled with one out, Moody drew a walk, then Makyna Carr singled to score Oliver while moving Moody on to third. Huffman then launched a deep fly ball to left, which gave Moody all the time she needed to run home with the ninth and final Buccaneer run.

Legacy was able to get Griffith onto first on an infield throwing error, but Oliver got the next batter to groundout to third base for the game’s final out.

Victoria Howarah had three hits in six at-bats, including a double. She scored twice and drove in two other runs for the Knights. Kensinger also had three hits, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a score.

Moody was the lone Buc with three hits, going 3-for-5 with her solo home run and two total runs scored.

NEXT UP: Greeneview travels to some simulated venue to take on the Patriots of Carroll.

Xenia’s Jada MacAvene scoops up an infield grounder in this photo from last season.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2020/04/web1_xenia_jadamacavene_PS.jpgXenia’s Jada MacAvene scoops up an infield grounder in this photo from last season.
Xenia defeats Legacy Christian in 11 innings

By John Bombatch

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Thanks to ASG Games for allowing us to use the Sherco Grand Slam Baseball board game for the game simulations. Grand Slam Baseball enables you to rate any ball player in order for them to “play” in the actual game. The gridded game board can be created to match the actual dimensions of any baseball stadium, too.