Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy
Bucknell & Navy Split a Twinbill on the Diamond
4/15/2001 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 15, 2001
Annapolis, Md. - A sacrifice fly by junior outfielder Eric Fishman (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton) in the top of the eighth inning helped give Bucknell a 5-3 victory over Navy, and salvaged at least one game in its four-game series with the Midshipmen over the weekend. The Mids won the opener on Sunday afternoon, 5-1, and took the series from the Bison, three games-to-one. Bucknell (21-14, 9-3 PL) leads Navy (13-19-1, 8-4 PL) by just one game in the conference standings.
After junior shortstop Larry Scheetz (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) drew a walk to lead off the eighth in a 3-3 game, senior center fielder Ian Joseph (Novelty, Ohio/West Geauga) laid down a bunt single to put runners on first and second. The runners moved up a base on a passed ball by catcher David Woolsey, and Navy elected to intentionally walk senior co-captain Brad Gething (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) to load the bases with no one out. Fishman stepped to the plate and scored pinch runner Ben Stoll (Swampscott, Mass./Swampscott) with his sacrifice fly to left to give the Orange and Blue a 4-3 lead. Senior Russ Lindberg (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) followed with an RBI groundout to give the Bison their fifth and final run.
In the bottom of the eighth, freshman Kevin Miller (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia), who had entered the game in relief back in the fifth inning, got the first two outs before allowing back-to-back singles. Junior right-hander Gregg Farmery (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) entered the game and struck out Matt Foster to end the game and pick up his sixth save of the season. Miller, who allowed one run on five hits, improved to 4-0 on the season.
The Bison took advantage of a Navy error in the top of the first, scoring three unearned runs. Gething and senior Jeff Peck (MoonTownship, Pa./Moon) had the only two hits for Bucknell in the inning.
The Mids answered with two runs off Bison starter R.J. Grant (Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley) in the bottom half of the inning. A two-out bunt single by John Cocca, followed by a double to left center by Willie Gury, and a single by Andy Mild accounted for all the damage.
Gury tied the game at 3-3 with a solo home run, his second of the season, leading off the Navy sixth.
Joseph and Peck each had two hits to lead Bucknell, while Gury and Mild collected two hits apiece for Navy.
In game one, Navy starter Matt Foster tossed a complete-game to pick up his third straight Patriot League win and improve his overall record to 5-1. He allowed just three hits, walked two and struck out a career-high eight batters.
Navy scored all the runs it would need in the bottom of the first off Bison starter Zach Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata). With one out, Nick Sylvester doubled to left and scored on a two-out single by Rusty Hearn. After Bison second baseman Chris Herron (Vienna, Va./Bishop O'Connell) committed an error to keep the inning alive, David Woolsey singled to score Hearn for a 2-0 Navy lead.
The Mids added a run in the second, taking advantage of a pair of two-out walks issued by Allen. Craig Candeto did the damage, singling to left to push the lead to 3-0.
Bucknell got on the board in the third inning, scoring an unearned run off Foster. Herron reached on an error by catcher David Woolsey, and two outs later scored on a base hit up the middle by Gething.
The Mids tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth when Jason Guidos doubled down the right field line, scoring Cocca who had singled and Dan Falkner who was hit by a pitch.
Joseph, Gething and Scheetz had the only three hits for the Bison. Guidos and Sylvester were each 2-for-3 with a double to lead the Midshipmen attack.
Bucknell will return to action on Tuesday, April 17, when it hosts Penn State at 3:30 p.m.
