Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
St. Bonaventure
Bison Baseball Team Splits Non-Conference Doubleheader at St. Bonaventure
4/10/2001 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 10, 2001
Olean, N.Y. - Bucknell's baseball team traveled to upstate New York and split a non-conference doubleheader with St. Bonaventure. The Bison (20-11) scored twice in the top of the seventh to take the opener, 6-4, while the Bonnies (11-9) scored early and often to win the nightcap, 17-2.
After falling behind early, the Orange and Blue rebounded to win game one in dramatic fashion. With the game tied 4-4 and two outs in the top half of the seventh inning, senior first baseman Russ Lindberg (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) kept Bucknell alive with a single to left. Classmate Mike Ritz (Old tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) stepped in and took advantage of the opportunity, smacking a two-run home run to left to give the Orange and Blue a 6-4 lead.
Freshman Cory Nadler (Brookline, Mass/Brookline), who entered the game in relief back in the fifth inning, walked the leadoff batter in the seventh and then struck the next batter out. He was pulled from the game after allowing a single to put runners on first and second with one out. Sophomore B.J. Batterson (Beech Creek, Pa./Bald Eagle Nittany) came in and got a fly out and a ground out to short to end the game and pick up his first save of the season.
The Bonnies struck first in the game, scoring a pair of runs off Bison starter Sean Magee (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal) in the second inning. Tim Burris led off with a double to center and scored one out later on a triple to center field by Dan Dennison. Eric Wilson followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Dennison.
The Orange and Blue took their first lead with three runs in the fourth. John DiBonaventura (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) led off with a single, and then swapped places with Lindberg on a fielders choice. After Ritz was hit by a pitch, Jeff Peck (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) singled to right scoring Lindberg. Catcher Pat Cann (Mill Valley, Calif./Marin Catholic) stepped in and singled to short to plate Ritz and tie the game at 2-2. After a strikeout, junior Larry Scheetz (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) doubled to left to score Peck for a 3-2 lead.
St. Bonaventure regained the lead in their half of the inning on a two-out, two-RBI double by Mike Rapacioli.
The Bison tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth inning on a double by Ritz, a single by Peck and a sacrifice fly by Cann.
Nadler picked up the win to improve to 1-1 on the season. Ritz went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and Peck was 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the offense for the Bison. Wolf, Wilson and Rapacioli each had two hits for the Bonnies.
In the nightcap, the Bonnies scored four runs in the first, six in the second and seven in the third to take a commanding 17-0 lead. St. Bonaventure touched Bison pitching for 17 hits to give head coach Larry Sudbrook his 400th career victory.
Ben Myers (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy) started on the mound for Bucknell and allowed seven earned runs in two and two-thirds innings of work. He gave up 10 hits, walked two and struck out four. Freshman Rick Hogg (Marriotsville, Md./Liberty) saw his first action and allowed four runs on six hits in just a third of an inning before yielding to Nadler. Nadler closed the door, allowing just one hit over the final three innings, but the damage was already done.
An RBI double by freshman Ben Stoll (Swampscott, Mass./Swampscott) and an RBI single by senior Ian Joseph (Novelty, Ohio/West Geauga) in the fifth accounted for Bucknell's only runs.
Ritz and Stoll had two hits apiece for Bucknell, while Rapacioli went 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs to lead the Bonnies.
Bucknell travels to Annapolis, Maryland, for a crucial four-game Patriot League series with Navy this weekend. The Mids are 5-3 in league play and sit in second place behind the Bison. First pitch on Saturday is at 12:00 noon.
