Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Colgate
Bison Softball Splits Doubleheader with Visiting Colgate
4/20/2002 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 20, 2002
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell softball team split a doubleheader with visiting Colgate on a drizzly Saturday, April 20. The Bison dropped a 5-3 decision in the opener, before coming from behind to beat the Raiders 6-4 in the nightcap.
Colgate carried a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning in the opener, behind a solid pitching performance from Elena Isaac, before the Orange and Blue put together a rally in their last at bat. The Raiders scored one in the third, one in the fourth and three in the fifth to stake themselves to the early lead.
Rachel Smith led off the third inning with an infield single. After a sacrifice bunt moved Smith to second, Melissa Rawson delivered a double to left centerfield to push the first run of the game across the plate. In the next inning, the Raiders made it 2-0 when Amanda Paolucci clubbed a two-out double to left centerfield to score Caitlin Thistle, who had walked to open the inning.
Colgate did the most damage in the fifth frame, scoring three runs on four hits. Dorothy Donaldson opened the inning with her second hit of the contest, singling through the left side. One out later, Natalie Rawson doubled to left centerfield to put runners on second and third, and Amanda Brickell followed with a single up the middle to plate both runners. Brickell later scored in the inning to give Colgate the 5-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the sixth, senior Kelly Dugan broke up Isaac's no-hitter with a one-out single to the left side. The Raiders got out of the inning unscathed, however, with a pop out and a strikeout. The Bison struck again in the bottom of the seventh, taking advantage of two hits and three Colgate errors in the frame. Junior Meredith Gill opened the inning with a single down the leftfield line. Sophomore Erin Doyle reached on a fielder's choice, and Gill was safe at second on a Colgate miscue. Sophomore Jenna Fitch followed with a single through the left side to load the bases. Another fielding error allowed the first run to score with no outs. One out later, senior Barb Wood grounded out to third base, plating Doyle. Colgate's third error of the frame allowed Fitch to score to make it 5-3, and the Orange and Blue had the opportunity to win it with two runners on and two outs, but Isaac got Bucknell's leading homerun hitter, Angela Stackhouse, to strikeout to end the game.
Isaac went the distance for the win, striking out five and walking two, while allowing just three hits. Junior Brandi Porter gave up nine hits in five innings for the loss, fanning six and walking four. With 90 strikeouts on the year, Porter needs just 12 more to break her own single-season record.
In the nightcap, the Bison struck first, scoring one run in the bottom of the first. Senior Lauren Titus opened Bucknell's half of the inning with a single to left field. Wood sacrificed Titus to second, before she advanced to third on a passed ball. With two outs, Stackhouse delivered an RBI single up the middle to put the Orange and Blue on the board.
Colgate responded with three runs on three hits and one Bucknell error in the top of the second to take a 3-1 lead. Bucknell cut into the lead with another run in the bottom of the third on a single by senior Jenna Demetriades, scoring Titus who had reached on another inning opening single.
Both teams were quiet until the bottom of the sixth when Bucknell grabbed a 6-3 lead, scoring four runs on two hits in the frame. The Bison tied the game on a bases loaded passed ball that allowed sophomore Courtney Dohoney to score. Dugan drew a walk to load the bases again, before Isaac came in to replace Rachel Prong on the mound. Stackhouse greeted Isaac with a double to centerfield, scoring all three base runners to give Bucknell the 6-3 advantage.
Colgate plated a run in its half of the seventh, but junior pitcher Lauren Box got Natalie Rawson to ground out to shortstop to end the game in favor of Bucknell, 6-4.
Box allowed six hits in 7.0 innings work, striking out one and walking two. Demetriades finished the game 2-for-4 from the plate with a triple in the fifth inning. With her fourth three-bagger of the year, the centerfielder became Bucknell's all-time career triples leader with 19.
The Orange and Blue (11-25, 5-9 PL) and the Raiders (21-16, 9-5 PL) will be in action again on Sunday, April 21, when they meet for a doubleheader at 10:30 a.m.
