Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bucknell Baseball Team Regains Control of First Place in the Patriot League
4/22/2001 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 22, 2001
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
Bethlehem, Pa. - Bucknell swept a doubleheader at Lehigh on Sunday afternoon, blanking the Mountain Hawks 1-0 and 7-0 to regain control of first-place in the Patriot League. Bison hurlers Zach Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) and R.J. Grant (Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley) combined to allow just seven Lehigh hits and struck out nine en route to improving Bucknell's conference mark to 12-4 (24-15 overall).
In game one, Allen went the distance, allowing just four hits to improve his season mark to 4-3. He struck out six batters and did not issue a walk in the game.
The Bison scored the game's only run in the top of the first inning. Senior Ian Joseph (Novelty, Ohio/West Geauga) led off the game with a double and then stole third base. With one out, senior third baseman John DiBonaventura (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) grounded a base hit through the right side of the infield to score Joseph with what turned out to be the game-winning run.
In game two, Grant took to the hill and matched Allen's performance with his first complete-game shutout. The sophomore left-hander allowed just three Lehigh (13-22, 6-10 PL) hits, walked four and struck out three en route to his third win (3-1) of the season.
The Orange and Blue wasted little time in taking the lead, scoring a run in the first inning. Eric Fishman (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton) singled up the middle and then proceeded to steal both second and third base. Senior first baseman Russ Lindberg (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) singled him home with a base hit back through the box to give Bucknell a 1-0 lead.
The Bison added three runs in the second, one in the fourth, one in the sixth and one in the seventh to take the four-game series against Lehigh, three-games-to-one.
Mike Ritz (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases, while Fishman went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases. Lindberg was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Jeff Peck (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) went 1-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.
Bucknell holds a one-game lead over Navy in the Patriot League standings. The Bison are 12-4 while the Mids, who split a twinbill at Holy Cross on Sunday, are 11-5. The Orange and Blue will return to action on Wednesday, April 25 when they host Mount St. Mary's in a nine-inning game beginning at 3:30 p.m.
