Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Bucknell Concludes Baseball Season With Two-Game Split Against Lafayette
4/29/2002 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 29, 2002
EASTON, Pa. - Bucknell wrapped up its 2002 season Monday afternoon by splitting a Patriot League doubleheader with Lafayette. After dropping the opener 13-7, the Bison knocked off the Leopards 4-1 in the nightcap to end the year with a win and bury a 13-game losing streak.
Bucknell closed out the season with a 15-35 record and a 6-14 Patriot League mark. Lafayette saw its record move to 23-16 and 12-4 in league play.
Lafayette erupted for seven runs on eight hits in the bottom of the first and withstood a six-run Bucknell fourth to give Leopard relief pitcher Donald Smith (1-1) the victory in game one. Trailing 9-1 after three innings, the Bison chased Lafayette starter Matt Tambellini from the game in the top of the fourth. With one out, Sam Moss singled up the middle and drove in two runs to make it 9-4 before Eric Fishman clobbered a three-run home run to bring Bucknell to within 9-7 and force Lafayette to replace Tambellini with Smith.
Zach Allen (3-6) surrendered 10 runs on 12 hits in five innings pitched before giving way to Blane Sharpless in the sixth. Sharpless struggled to find the plate, however, and allowed four runs to score on three walks and a wild pitch.
Lafayette out-hit the Bison 13-11 in the opener, and Adam Rosenburg went 3-for-4 with two runs and a home run. Brian Day collected a career-high three hits to lead the Bison, while Fishman and Brian Hirschberg connected for a pair of hits apiece.
R.J. Grant (2-5) hurled five strong innings in the nightcap to earn his first victory since March 24. Neither team put a run on the scoreboard until the top of the fourth, when Day smashed an opposite-field homer to right off Leopard starter Joe Saporetti (6-3) that put the Bison on top 2-0.
Lafayette scratched out a run off Grant in the bottom of the sixth to close to within 2-1, but the Bison added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI-single by Moss and a run-scoring double from Fishman.
The Leopards threatened in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with no outs against Bison reliever Sean Magee. But Gregg Farmery put out the fire by retiring all three batters he faced to earn his sixth save of the season. Bucknell's all-time saves leader, Farmery closed out his career with 14 stops.
Fishman also made his final collegiate outing a memorable one, going 2-for-3 at the dish with a double and a stolen base. Hirschberg added a pair of hits for the Bison.
