Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Slippery Rock
Bucknell & SlipperyRock Split a Doubleheader
3/24/2001 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 24, 2001
Lewisburg, Pa. - Junior right-hander Chris Lackett (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) scattered five hits and tossed a complete game and senior third baseman John DiBonaventura (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) went 4-for-4 with four RBIs to lead Bucknell (8-8) to a 9-2 victory over Slippery Rock (7-9) in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
Lackett was in complete control on the mound for the Bison, striking out six and walking just one on his way to improving to 3-1 on the season. He allowed a home run to Mike Sikorski in the top of the first and gave up a second run on an RBI ground-out by Mike Donatelli in the top of the second.
Bucknell tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when leadoff batter Ian Joseph (Novelty, Ohio/West Geauga) singled, stole second and scored on a single by DiBonaventura - his first of four hits in the game.
Trailing 2-1 in the third, the Orange and Blue rallied for five runs with five hits. After Joseph walked to leadoff the frame, Eric Fishman (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton), Kevin Eiben (Delta, British Columbia/Vancouver College), DiBonaventura, Russ Lindberg (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) and Mike Ritz (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) all hit singles to plate four of the five runs. The fifth run of the frame came home when catcher Pat Cann (Mill Valley, Calif./Marin Catholic) got himself intentionally caught in a run-down between first and second allowing Lindberg to steal home from third base.
The Bison added three unearned runs in the fourth to push out to a 9-2 lead. Joseph reached on a fielding error by the first baseman and moved to second on a single by Fishman. After Eiben bounced into a fielders choice putting runners on the corners with two outs, DiBonaventura doubled to the gap in right center scoring Joseph and Eiben. Lindberg stepped into the box and promptly hit a shot off the fence in left-center for a double that scored DiBonaventura.
After allowing the first two batters to reach in the seventh, Lackett settled down and struck out two of the last three batters to capture the complete-game win.
In the opener, Slippery Rock scored two runs in the top of the first inning on a home run by Sikorski and made that stand up in a pitchers duel. Sikorski's ball just cleared the fence down the leftfield line staking starter Mike Gorsline to a 2-0 lead.
Gorsline did the rest, holding the Bison to just four hits en route to a complete-game victory. He struck out four and walked just one en route to his third win of the season. Bucknell's only run off him came in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by DiBonaventura.
Bucknell starter Kevin McDowell (Cheswick, Pa./Deer Lakes) was hurt by one bad pitch in an-otherwise nice outing. He worked four innings, surrendering two runs on two hits while striking out six. Freshman Kevin Miller (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia) did a nice job in relief, working the final three innings and allowing just a pair of hits while striking out two.
Bucknell and Slippery Rock will return to action tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 noon at Bucknell Field.
