Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bucknell Splits Baseball Doubleheader With Lehigh Saturday.
4/21/2001 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 21, 2001
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Senior first baseman Russ Lindberg (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) singled home two runs in the top half of the ninth inning to help Bucknell salvage a split of a Patriot League doubleheader at Lehigh on Saturday afternoon. The 7-6 win allowed the Bison (22-15, 10-4 Patriot League) to remain tied for first place with Navy, who swept Holy Cross on Saturday, in the conference standings. Lehigh (13-20, 6-8 PL) won the opener 1-0, handing the Bison their first shutout in 135 games.
Bucknell had two chances to put away the Mountain Hawks prior to the ninth inning, but each time Lehigh clawed back to keep the game alive. Bison starter Chris Lackett (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning but was removed from the game in favor of closer Gregg Farmery (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) after issuing a leadoff walk to Pat Hollander. After a groundout moved pinch runner Eric Hoffman to second, Jeremy Mack came through with a base hit to tie the game at 3-3.
Bucknell senior Mike Ritz (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) hit a two-run home run in the top half of the eighth to put Lehigh up against the wall again. But back-to-back doubles produced one run, and one out later a double by Jesse Novalis tied the game at 5-5. Freshman Kevin Miller (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia) got the final two outs to give Bucknell a third chance to take the lead in the ninth.
After Larry Scheetz (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) and Ian Joseph (Novelty, Ohio/West Geauga) opened the frame with back-to-back singles, Eric Fishman (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton) executed a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third. One batter later, Lindberg struck what would be the game-winning blow with his single to right.
Miller allowed a run in the ninth before finally shutting the door on the Mountain Hawks and improving his season-record to a perfect 5-0.
Lindberg went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs, while Pat Cann (Mill Valley, Calif./Marin Catholic) went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs for the Bison. Mack was 3-for-4 with three RBIs to lead Lehigh.
In the opener, Lehigh hurler Dave Cerminaro pitched a one-hit gem, shutting out Bucknell for the first time since early in the 1999 season. Senior catcher Brad Gething (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) was the only Bison to get a hit off Cerminaro, singling in the sixth to break up the no-hit bid. Cerminaro struck out three and did not issue a walk en route to improving to 4-3 on the season.
Left-hander Kevin McDowell (Cheswick, Pa./Deer Lakes) was the tough-luck loser for Bucknell. He worked six-and-a-third innings, allowing one run on three hits. McDowell walked eight and struck out four, and dropped to 2-3 on the year.
The Mountain Hawks scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Eric Hoffman led off with a pinch-hit single to left and moved to second on a sacrifice. McDowell then walked a pair of batters to load the bases with one out. Farmery entered the game and Novalis promptly singled down the line in right to plate Hoffman with the winning run.
Bucknell and Lehigh will play a second twinbill tomorrow beginning at 12:00 noon.
