Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army
Army Sweeps Four-Game Baseball Series From Bucknell
4/21/2002 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 21, 2002
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Bucknell's postseason playoff hopes suffered a major blow Sunday afternoon after losing twice to Army at Doubleday Field. The Bison dropped the opener 4-3 in 10 innings before losing 11-2 in the nightcap as the club fell to 14-30 and 5-11 in the Patriot League with just four conference games remaining.
Army also swept Saturday's doubleheader, and won its first season series against Bucknell since 1998.
Bucknell trailed 3-2 heading into the top of the seventh in game one, but Phil Bunting drove home B.J. Batterson with a sacrifice fly to send the game into extra innings. However, Army (13-20, 7-9 Patriot) pushed across the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th off Bison reliever Kevin Miller to come away with the win.
Miller (0-3) was credited with the loss despite an impressive performance out of the bullpen. The sophomore right-hander allowed just two runs on five hits and no walks in six and one-third innings, by far his longest outing of the season. He also struck out five.
Eric Fishman gave starting pitcher Chris Lackett a 1-0 edge when he blasted a solo home run off Army starter Justin Kashner in the top of the fourth. Lackett shut out the Black Knights through the first three innings, but was removed from the game in the fourth after yielding a hit batsman and a single to start the inning. Both runners went on to score after Miller entered the game for Lackett as the Black Knights took a 2-1 advantage.
The Bison tied things up in the top of the fifth when Ben Krentzman drilled the team's second home run in as many innings. But Army responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame to retake the lead at 3-2.
Miller shut out Army from the sixth through the ninth innings, but the Bison offense was unable to capitalize on its scoring opportunities late in the game. Bucknell left four runners in scoring position from the seventh through the ninth.
Reliever Mike Erwin (2-2) earned the win for Army after throwing two scoreless innings and allowing just one hit.
Fishman and Krentzman led Bucknell at the plate with a pair of hits apiece. Brandon Boyce finished the opener 3-for-5 to pace Army.
The Black Knights offense came alive in the second game, as the team out-hit Bucknell 16-6 en route to the nine-run victory.
Kevin Burns (2-4) suffered the loss, allowing 10 runs on 13 hits. Bucknell went ahead 1-0 in the top of the first on an infield RBI-single by Batterson, but the Bison's lead was short-lived as Army plated 11 unanswered runs. The Black Knights scored twice in the second and five times in the third against Burns, as Army built a 7-1 lead to give its starter Wes Bumgardner (1-4) all the run support he would need. Bumgardner went the distance and held Bucknell to two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.
Army added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth and one in the sixth. Bucknell scored its second run in the top of the seventh when Fishman tripled home Larry Scheetz.
Ben Stoll and Fishman each had a pair of hits in the second game for the Bison. Miguel Gastellum, Schuyler Williamson and Josh Holden posted three hits apiece for Army.
Bucknell hosts St. Bonaventure in a non-league doubleheader on Wednesday starting at 2 p.m. The Bison then close out their 2002 Patriot League regular season schedule with a four-game series at league frontrunner Lafayette on Saturday and Sunday.
