Central Bucks West traveled up Route 202 to take on their cross-town rival Central Bucks East in a game where both teams are battling to get into the PIAA District 1 softball playoffs. Central Bucks West got on the board first by scoring a single run in the top of the first inning. Starting left fielder Kat James led off the game for the Bucks with a single to left field. After advancing to second on a passed ball, James would come around to score on a single up the middle off the bat of center fielder Jill Boyle. But the Bucks lead was short lived as CB East also scored in their half of the first inning. The first two batters for the Patriots both reached base and came around to score to give the Patriots a 2-1 lead at the end of the first inning. Ashlyn Helmstetter led off the first inning by drawing a walk against the Central Bucks West starting pitcher Kendall Kornuszko. Her sister Hailey followed that up with a line drive double into the right center field gap. Ashlyn would cross the plate first when she scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of the East pitcher Sydney Hahn. The second run to score for East was later in the same inning when Hailey Helmstetter scored on a ground out RBI off the bat of Elena Bhatt. When the inning ended, East was leading West by a score of 2-1. As it turned out they would be the only two runs that East would score on the day as pitcher Kendall Kornuszko would keep them off the scoreboard for the final six innings. Over those six innings, Kornuszko would only allow three more runners to reach base. In fact, Kornuszko retired fourteen of the last fifteen batters that she faced in this contest. CB West plated two more runs in their half of the fifth inning and they would be the only two that they would need for the rest of the game. Catcher Sam Hooven started off the fifth by drawing a walk against Sydney Hahn. Makala Burkholder also drew a walk bringing Hailey Worthington to the plate. Worthington delivered with an RBI single to score Kate Pisch, who was a curtesy runner for Sam Hooven. Burkholder scored the second run of the inning when East misplayed a bunt off the bat of Addie McMackin and when the top of the fourth inning ended CB West was up by a score of 3-2. CB West added another run in their half of the fifth inning when Marley Swain scored on a bases loaded walk to the Bucks second baseman Addie McMackin. The final run would score for the Bucks in the top of the seventh inning when Makala Burkholder lined a one out one strike pitch down the left field line for a double scoring Marley Swain who had reached base on a single to start the inning. The Bucks hitters had many timely hits leading to five runs scored, but the star of the game was clearly the Bucks starting pitcher Kendall Kornuszko. This was one of Kornuszko's strongest outings of the year. She went the full seven innings, giving up on two runs on two hits, while striking out five batters on the afternoon. After allowing two runs in the first inning, Kornuszko would only allow three runners in total to reach base over the next six innings. Kornuszko's pitching was helped by her catcher Sam Hooven who called an outstanding game behind the plate. The Bucks hitting stars were leadoff hitter Kat James who had a single and a run scored, Jill Boyle who contributed an RBI single. Marley Swain who had two hits on the afternoon and also scored two runs. Makala Burkholder had two hits, while scoring a run and driving in another. And finally, Hailey Worthington who contributed two hits and reached base all four times she came to the plate. Mike Daher's comments, we have really been struggling of late trying to pick up some wins and to get into the District 1 playoffs so the win today could not have come at a better time. Sometimes when you are struggling to win games and to score runs as we have of late, you need a pitcher to take the ball and just go out and throw a great game to get you a win. That is exactly what Kendall Kornuszko did today. After the first inning she was almost unhittable for the rest of the game. After the first, she just settled down and threw great pitches the rest of the way. Sam Hooven was calling pitches for her and really did a terrific job in that role. I would also like to give credit to the East coach Steve Ryan. He has done an outstanding job with the East team. They are definitely a very competitive, well coached team. When Steve left our program last year to coach at East, I knew he would really help their program a lot.