Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Baseball Team Completes Four-Game Sweep of Lafayette
4/1/2001 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 1, 2001
Lewisburg, Pa. - Freshman right-hander Kevin Miller (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia) and sophomore right-hander Zach Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) each came out of the bullpen to help Bucknell sweep a Patriot League doubleheader from Lafayette on Sunday, 5-3 and 11-4. The victories gave the Bison a four-game series sweep over the visiting Leopards (4-15, 0-4 PL) and improved their record to 14-9 (4-0 PL) this season.
In game one, Miller came on in the third inning in relief of starter Ross Aron (Westport, Conn./Kent School) and worked four and two-thirds innings of scoreless ball to pick up his first collegiate win. He walked just one, struck out two, and allowed just a pair of hits while dropping his season earned run average to 2.88.
Bucknell gave Aron a three-run lead with four consecutive two-out hits in the second inning. Junior Larry Scheetz (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) singled up the middle and moved to second on a single by senior Ian Joseph (Novelty, Ohio/West Geauga). Senior Brad Gething (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) followed with a hit up the middle to score Scheetz, and senior Russ Lindberg (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) completed the damage with a two-run double to the gap in left-center.
However, the Leopards came right back to tie the game with a three-spot in the top of the third. Vince D'Angelis had the big hit in the frame, ripping a single through the left side of the infield to plate a pair of runs. After Aron walked the bases loaded, Jon Kline hit a sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game.
The Bison pulled ahead to stay with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Joseph was hit by a pitch to open the frame, and moved to second on a walk by Gething. After a single by Lindberg to right-center loaded the bases, third baseman John DiBonaventura (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) plated Joseph on a groundout, moving Bucknell in front 4-3. The Bison added what turned out to be an insurance run when Gething tagged up on a pop fly to shallow left by Mike Ritz (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) and slide across home plate just before the tag.
Miller did the rest for the Orange and Blue, retiring the final nine batters in a row. Lindberg led the offensive attack with a 2-for-4, two-RBI performance and every player in the Bison lineup had at least one hit. Jason Boyd went 3-for-4 to lead Lafayette.
In the night cap, Lafayette struck for four runs in its half of the fourth off Bison starter R.J. Grant (Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley). The first Leopard run was literally walked around the bases, as Grant struggled with his control. Tye Gonser followed with a single to left-center to score two more and the Leopard led 3-0. Allen entered the game in relief and allowed Jason Boyd to single home another run before getting a pair of fly-outs to end the inning.
The Orange and Blue responded immediately with four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to knot the game at 4-4. DiBonaventura led off with a single and moved to second after Lindberg was hit by a pitch. Actually, Lindberg was hit by three pitches during the at-bat, but the home plate umpire ruled that he made no effort to get out of the way on two of them. After a fly out, junior Eric Fishman (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Senior Jeff Peck (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) stepped in and hit a ground ball that shortstop D'Angelis bobbled before throwing in the dirt to first. DiBonaventura scored on the play and the bases remained loaded for senior Chris Herron (Vienna, Va./Bishop O'Connell). The Bison co-captain responded by ripping a shot down the rightfield line, scoring both Lindberg and Fishman to cut the lead to 4-3. Scheetz completed the scoring with a single to right to score Peck and tie the game.
The Bison broke the game open in the fifth with seven runs. Gething began the inning with a double down the leftfield line, forcing Lafayette to go to its bullpen in relief of starter Marcus Ward. Ross Butler entered the game and promptly hit two men to load the bases. On the next at-bat, Ritz drew a walk to score Joseph with what turned out to be the winning run. Fishman followed with a two-run single, and then Peck hit a triple off the fence in left to make the score 9-4. Herron stepped up and hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Peck, and Joseph put the nail in the coffin with a solo home run to right - his first of the season.
Allen worked 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit, to pick up his first win of the season. Gregg Farmery (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) worked the final two innings, allowing just a pair of hits, to wrap things up for the Bison.
Joseph and Scheetz each went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Bison offense, while Peck and Herron each recorded three RBIs. Boyd once again led the Leopard attack with two hits.
Bucknell will be back in action on Wednesday, April 4, when it hosts Binghamton in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Bucknell Field.
