Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
NCAA Regionals -- Miami (Fla.)
Bucknell Baseball Team Falls to Top-Ranked Miami, 14-6, in NCAA Regionals
5/25/2001 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 25, 2001
CORAL GABLES, FLA. - In just its second-ever appearance in the NCAA Regionals, Bucknell dropped a 14-6 decision to the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes at Mark Light Stadium on Saturday evening. The Canes scored nine runs in the first three innings and belted seven extra-base hits en route to their ninth straight win and their 45th overall (45-12) this season.
The Bison (31-18), who earned an automatic berth into the regionals by capturing the Patriot League Championship, will face Stetson in a losers bracket game in the double-elimination tournament on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. The Hatters lost in the opening game to Florida, 10-9.
Bucknell grabbed a short-lived lead with a two-out run in the top of the first off Hurricane starter Kiki Bengochea. Senior third baseman John DiBonaventura (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) got hit by a pitch for the 15th time this season to start the rally and moved to third on a hit-and-run single by senior first baseman Russ Lindberg (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel). After a walk by Mike Ritz (Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) loaded the bases, junior Eric Fishman (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton) smacked a high chopper off home plate that dropped in front of Cane catcher Mike DiRosa for an RBI single. Bengochea escaped further damage by getting Kevin Eiben (Delta, British Columbia/Vancouver College) to ground out to third with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Miami responded with two runs off Bison starter Kevin McDowell (Cheswick, Pa./Deer Lakes) in the bottom of the frame. After McDowell walked the first two batters, Javy Rodriguez laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Danny Matienzo stepped in and grounded out to short to plate the tying run. After a fielders choice cut off a run at the plate, outfielder Kevin Mannix gave the Canes their first lead with a double down the left field line. McDowell got Kris Clute to foul out to first to end the inning.
The Canes took a commanding 6-1 lead with four runs on four hits in the second inning. The big blow was a two-run home run to straight away center field by Charlton Jimerson as Miami hit for the cycle in the frame.
Miami added to its lead and knocked McDowell out of the game with three more runs in the third. Clute singled to start the inning and scored on a double by Kevin Brown. . Freshman Kevin Miller (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia) came on to relieve McDowell and after striking out DiRosa, walked Jimerson and Mike Rodriguez to load the bases. He struck out Javy Rodriguez for the second out of the inning, but Matienzo came through for the Canes with a two out single to drive in two more runs
The Bison clawed their way back into the game with two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two more in the sixth. In the fourth, junior shortstop Larry Scheetz (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to second on a single to right by senior center fielder Ian Joseph (Novelty, Ohio/West Geauga). Bengochea struck out catcher Brad Gething (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) for the second out, but DiBonaventura lined a double down the line in right to plate Scheetz and Joseph.
In the fifth, senior co-captain Chris Herron (Vienna, Va./Bishop O'Connell) singled up the middle to drive in Fishman who had reached on a bunt single. The Orange and Blue closed the gap to 9-6 in the sixth when Lindberg drilled a double into the gap in left center to score Gething and DiBonaventura.
Miller kept the Canes off the board in the fourth-fifth-sixth and seventh, allowing the Bison to get back into the contest. With momentum on its side, the Bison put the first two runners on in the eighth, chasing Bengochea in favor of Luke DeBold. Lindberg stepped in and greeted the junior right-hander with a smash towards first. However, what looked as if the Bison would have at least the bases loaded with no outs quickly vanished when the ball hit DiBonaventura leading off the bag. DeBold regrouped and struck out Ritz and Fishman to end the inning.
Miller started the ninth in what turned out to be his longest outing of the year, and allowed a leadoff home run to Matienzo. After a single and a walk Miller left the game and was replaced by sophomore Kevin Burns (West Chester, Pa./Malvern Prep). The Canes wasted little time in pulling off a double steal and plated a run when Burns uncorked a wild pitch. Burns struggled with his control and walked the next two batters to load the bases. Junior Gregg Farmery (Punxsutawney, Pa./Punxsutawney) came on and was greeted by a bases-clearing double by Jimerson, putting the game out of reach at 14-6.
The Bison loaded the bases in the ninth, but could not score a run. All told, the Orange and Blue left a season-high 15 runners on base during the 3:33 marathon.
Joseph tied the school record for career starts at 188 and tied his own season record with his 27th stolen base of the season. Scheetz registered three assists in the game to set a new single season record with 135. Farmery made his 22nd appearance of the season to increase his own single-season mark, and DiBonaventura was hit by a pitch twice to establish a new single-season mark of 16.
Lindberg led the way for Bucknell at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, while Joseph, Fishman and DiBonaventura each had a pair of hits.
