Watervliet Public Schools

The Watervliet Panthers softball team opened Pre-District play Tuesday at Bangor against the Hartford Huskies and came away with an exciting 7-6 come-from-behind victory to advance to Saturday’s district action against the Bloomingdale Cardinals. The Huskies jumped out early and held a 4-0 advantage heading into the sixth inning. The Panthers began chipping away, scoring two runs to tighten the game before entering the final inning trailing by four. Watervliet then erupted for five runs in a dramatic seventh-inning rally to secure the win. Freshmen Rae Prestidge and Sophia Radar sparked the Panthers offense during the late comeback. Sienna Bulat came through in a big moment with a clutch base hit and RBI, while Ava Thomas also delivered with a key single and RBI. Ava Trapp paced the Panthers offense with two hits in the contest, while Emma Kirksey added a base hit of her own. Kirksey also earned the win in the circle, tossing all seven innings while allowing just two earned runs with five strikeouts and three walks. The Panthers showed tremendous grit, determination, and resilience in the thrilling comeback victory. Watervliet improves to 22-12 on the season and will travel Wednesday to take on the Maroon Giants of Kalamazoo Central. Go Panthers!!