Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Holy Cross
Bison Baseball Team Sweeps Patriot League Doubleheader at Holy Cross
4/7/2001 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 7, 2001
Lewisburg, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team improved to a perfect 6-0 in Patriot League play with a doubleheader sweep at Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon. The Bison (17-10) scored two runs in the top of the seventh to pull out game one, 6-4, and jumped out to a 7-0 lead en route to a 9-6 win in the nightcap.
Senior co-captain Chris Herron (Vienna, Va./Bishop O'Connell) singled home the game-winning runs in the opener with two outs in the seventh inning. Russ Lindberg (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) opened the inning by reaching on an error and moved to second on a passed ball. After a fly ball to center for the first out of the inning, Kevin Eiben (Delta British, Columbia/Vancouver College) followed with a single. A groundout moved the runners up to second and third, from where they scored on Herron's clutch hit.
After the Crusaders (10-11, 2-4 PL) took a 1-0 lead in the second on a double by Matt McEvoy and an RBI single by Dale Johnson, the Orange and Blue responded with three runs in the top of the third off Holy Cross ace Mike Montano. Herron opened the frame with a double and scored on a double by Larry Scheetz (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) to knot the game at 1-1. After a groundout moved Scheetz to third, he scored on an RBI single by senior co-captain Brad Gething (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum). Senior third baseman John DiBonaventura (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) stepped in and singled, moving Gething to third. Bucknell's final run of the inning came home on an RBI single by Lindberg and the Bison had given starter Kevin McDowell (Cheswick, Pa./Deer Lakes) a 3-1 lead.
Holy Cross closed to 3-2 in the third as McDowell struggled with his control. After getting the first two outs of the inning, he hit two batters and walked a third to load the bases. McDowell made matters worse when he balked and pushed a runner across the plate without allowing a hit.
The Bison took advantage of two Holy Cross errors to score an unearned run in the fourth and regain a two-run lead at 4-2. An error by the shortstop kept the inning alive, and then after a walk put two runners on the Bison pulled off a double steal and scored on the play when the catchers throw sailed into center field.
But Holy Cross chased McDowell in the sixth, and scored a pair of two-out runs to tie the game. Johnson was hit by a pitch to start the inning, but was promptly erased on a 4-6-3 double play. After Bill Andruskevich drew a walk, Bucknell replaced McDowell with freshman Kevin Miller (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia). A single and a walk loaded the bases, and center fielder Corey Czajka responded with a two-run single to tie the game 4-4. Miller began the seventh and got the first out before hitting a batter and allowing a second to reach on an error. Gregg Farmery (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) came in and got the final two outs with a strike out and a fly ball to record his fifth save of the season.
Herron went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs to lead the Bucknell attack, while Ian Joseph (Novelty, Ohio/West Geauga) was 1-for-3 with three stolen bases. Eric Tapper was a perfect 3-for-3 for the Crusaders.
In the nightcap, Bucknell scored four runs in the third and three in the fourth to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Junior right-hander Chris Lackett (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) did the rest, firing his third complete game of the season to improve to 5-1. He allowed just two earned runs, walked just one, and struck out four.
The Bison took advantage of walks to Scheetz and Joseph to open the third inning. Gething doubled to right center to score Scheetz, and DiBonaventura drove in Joseph on a fielders choice. Back-to-back doubles by Lindberg and Mike Ritz (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) scored two more runs, and the Orange and Blue led 4-0.
Lindberg handed the Bison three more runs in the very next inning with a mammoth three-run blast to left, his sixth of the season. Bucknell took advantage of control problems by the Crusader pitchers in the fifth to score its final two runs.
Holy Cross scored four runs in the fourth and two in the fifth, but could get no closer. Four of the Crusader runs were unearned as the Bison committed four errors in the contest.
Lindberg led Bucknell's offensive attack with a 2-for-3, 5 RBI day, while Joseph went 1-for-2, scored three runs and stole three bases. McEvoy was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for Holy Cross.
Bucknell and Holy Cross will meet on the diamond again on Sunday. The Patriot League twinbill gets underway at 12:00 noon.
