Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Bison Sweep Baseball Twinbill From Lafayette
3/31/2001 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 31, 2001
Lewisburg, Pa. - Left-hander Kevin McDowell (Cheswick, Pa./Deer Lakes) tossed six scoreless innings of two-hit baseball in game one, and right-hander Chris Lackett (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) scattered five hits and allowed just one earned run in game two to lead Bucknell to a doubleheader sweep over Lafayette in Patriot League action on Saturday afternoon. With the wins the Bison improve to 12-9 overall and 2-0 in the conference, while Lafayette drops to 4-13, 0-2.
McDowell was in complete control in the opener, striking out seven and walking just three en route to his second win of the season. He dropped his earned run average from 5.14 to 2.77, and combined with Gregg Farmery (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) to notch Bucknell's second shutout of the season. Farmery worked the seventh and picked up his fourth save of the year.
Bucknell scored all the runs it would need in its half of the first. Seniors Ian Joseph (Novelty, Ohio/West Geauga) and Brad Gething (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) opened the frame with back-to-back singles, and advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Eiben (Delta, British Columbia/Vancouver College). A passed ball scored Joseph, and then a groundout to second base by John DiBonaventura (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) plated Gething.
Kevin Swords went the distance on the hill for the Leopards and took the tough-luck loss. He allowed just one earned run on six hits and struck out two, but dropped to 1-4 on the season. His battery mate, Jon Kline, threw out three Bison runners attempting to steal.
Joseph went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Orange and Blue, while Tye Gonser, Kline and Jason Moll collected the hits for Lafayette.
In the nightcap, the Leopards jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second when Jason Rosenburg singled home a pair of runs with two outs. After Matt Tambellini was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a groundout, Eric Vacca hit a ball back to Lackett who turned and nailed Tambellini at third. After a single by Brian Heyesey and a passed ball put runners on second and third, Rosenburg followed with his clutch hit.
Lafayette starter Joe Saporetti held the Bison in check until they plated a run in the fourth. DiBonaventura led off the frame with a double and moved to third on a single by senior Mike Ritz (Old Tappan. N.J./Northern Valley Regional). Senior Pat Cann (Mill Valley, Calif./Marin Catholic) then put the Orange and Blue on the board with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Bison took advantage of a Leopard error to take the lead for good with a three-spot in the fifth. Larry Scheetz (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) led off with a single and moved to second on a single by Joseph. After Eric Fishman (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton) popped out to the catcher on a sacrifice attempt, Russ Lindberg (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) reached when his grounder bounced off the third baseman and back towards center field. Scheetz scored on the play and Joseph and Lindberg wound up on second and third. DiBonaventura was called out on strikes for the second out of the inning, but a wild pitch scored Joseph and moved Lindberg to third. A single by Ritz scored Lindberg with the third run of the inning and Bucknell led 4-2.
The Orange and Blue scored two more runs in the sixth, again taking advantage of some shaky Leopard defense. Gething pinch hit and reached on an error by the shortstop. After Scheetz was called out for batter's interference on an attempted steal by Gething, Joseph singled. The Leopards recorded the second out on a fly ball by Fishman, and Saporetti should have been out of the inning when he struck out Lindberg. However, the catcher dropped the ball and then threw it past first base and into right field. Both Gething and Joseph, who raced all the way around from first, scored on the play.
Lackett retired the final 10 batters he faced in a row to improve his record to 4-1 on the year. He recorded his second complete game of the season, and his earned run average dropped from 10.38 to 8.68.
Joseph once again led the offense for Bucknell with a 3-for-3 performance, while Ritz had two hits and an RBI. Rosenberg went 2-for-2 for Lafayette and drove in both Leopard runs.
Bucknell and Lafayette will be back in action tomorrow, April 1, with a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 noon.
