The Bears are back: Buckley plays baseball, softball games for first time in four years

Apr. 21—FRANKFORT — Buckley's teams earned a win just by being at the diamond Tuesday.

The Bears' baseball team was no-hit by Frankfort in the first game and mercied in the second. Softball scored one run in two games against the Panthers.

But both doubleheaders were a start. The four games marked the Bears' first since the 2017 season. Buckley has not fielded teams since then because of low numbers.

The Bears were ready to play baseball and softball in 2020 but the entire spring sports season was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I have a senior on the team (Briana Schrotenboer) who actually today was her first high school softball game," said Karie McIntyre, Buckley's softball coach. "And not because she just decided to play this year but because this was the first chance she's had to play."

Michael MacGirr was hired in the fall of 2018 to coach a baseball team then set to return in 2019 along with McIntyre to coach the softball team.

"A lot of hard work," MacGirr said. "A lot of asking kids in school, a lot of the kids that have wanted to play all along, working on their friends and getting them to come out and just trying to build a good strong program for these kids to be proud of."

McIntyre said the four year process of trying to get a team together was difficult. A handful girls at the school played recreational softball, some under McIntyre, along with her own daughter, Abbie, who played travel ball and was a vocal advocate for the team.

She approached girls they knew had played before. Players did their own recruiting, too. With the season nearing the Bears had nine girls. That was techichanally enough for a team without any rest between innings. "We were kind of on the fence," McIntyre said.

Then one night Buckley freshman Aiden Harrand, an all-state cross country runner who finished 5th at finals, called the girls with big news. Harrand would duo sport in track and softball to make sure the team could play in 2021.

"She came through and said she was going to play," McIntyre said. "Aiden had played a little bit. Like one or two years in summer ball, but that was huge. Then it was like 'OK. Now we're going to do this.'"

McIntyre said all the girls know that winning games and championships aren't on the Bears agenda this year, but still called Tuesday's outing emotional. Buckley was shutout 6-0 in the first game, then Anna Francisco scored Buckley's first and only run of the day in a 11-1 loss to Frankfort. Abbie McIntyre pitched a complete game in both games, fanning six batters in each.

"We're going to celebrate the small victories and get this program going again," McIntyre said.

Both Buckley teams (0-2) continue their seasons hosting North Bay Monday.

Lewis pitches gem for Panthers

Frankfort sophomore Logan Lewis made the most out of his first varsity outing.

Lewis pitched a six inning complete game throwing 13 strikeouts for a no-hitter in Frankfort's first official varsity contest, a 4-1 win over Buckley. The Panthers first two games were cancelled and didn't have enough players for its last game, turning the game into a scrimmage in its place.

Buckley had three runners get on base to break the perfect game. Brandon Webber, who walked and advanced on a passed ball, stole a base and scored on a balk. He was the only Bear to score.

"I felt pretty good up there. Arms a little tired now. It's cold. Haven't thrown that much in a while," Lewis said. "Overall I thought we did real good."

The Panthers won the second game 15-5 in a four inning mercy. Ryan Witkop pitched a complete game as well. Frankfort was down seven players because of COVID-19 quarantines.

Frankfort (2-0) hosts a tournament Saturday.

Frankfort freshman hits Panthers' first HR

Frankfort softball coach Mike Thompson didn't think the Panthers first long ball this year would come courtesy of Olivia Cascagnett.

Then in the second inning the "quiet" freshman and first-season softball player screamed as she rounded the bases after blasting a home run 50 feet past the center field fence. The ball nearly crashed into the window of a unlucky Chevy Suburban in the football field parking lot.

"When we first started back in March, we're not exactly sure what we were going to do, but she (Cascagnett) was at practice every day, she works hard every day, she just says 'yes coach,'" Thompson said. "She laid that ball out nicely and I'm so happy for her."

Cascagnett had just one hit in the Panthers first four contests then went 3-for-3 Tuesday and touched home plate twice.

Thompson said because the Panthers roster includes a lot of girls that were deep into the basketball playoffs, girls like Cascagnett had the time for one-on-one practices.

The Panthers roster two seniors and three juniors. The rest of the eight players are underclassmen who haven't played varsity in at least two seasons because of the pandemic, in some cases not at all.

"We definitely have a young team and we have a lot of room for improvement, but we've been doing really good," said sophomore Kinzee Stockdale. "We've just come really far from like the starting point that we were at, even though it's still early in the season."

Frankfort (6-0) hosts a tournament Saturday.

Follow Andrew Rosenthal on Twitter @ByAndrewR