Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Yale
Bucknell Pitching Still Stellar in Florida
3/12/2003 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 12, 2003
BRADENTON, Fla. - For the third straight game, Bucknell has been able to jump out to an early lead thanks to a strong outing from their starting pitcher. Wednesday versus Yale it was senior Kevin Burns on the hill surrendering just one run on seven hits over seven innings. Sophomore Phil Bunting drove in four runs as the Bison upped their record to 3-1. Yale fell to 1-2.
Yale's only run off Burns came in the bottom of the first. Leadoff man Randy Leonard ripped a double to left center then scored three batters later on Darren Beasley's single through the left side. Leonard would be the last Bulldog to cross the plate until the eighth.
The Bison finally got to Yale starter Jon Hollis in the top of the fifth. Brian Hirschberg and Kyle Walter led off the inning with back-to-back singles. B.J. Batterson bunted both runners into scoring position, then a sacrifice fly to left by Bunting allowed Hirschberg to score. After a walk to freshman Brad Duvall, Ben Stoll smacked a single to center to drive in Walter. The inning ended when Stoll was thrown out at home trying to score from first on Ben Krentzman's double.
Bucknell pushed across three more runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 6-1. With two outs, walks to Bison batters sandwiched around a Yale infield error loaded the bases. Bunting came to the plate and laced a double to right to knock in Hirschberg, Walter, and Batterson.
Yale pushed across a run in the eighth on C.J. Orrico's RBI ground out. The Bulldogs could have cut the lead to three runs but with two outs, Krentzman fielded Kyle Misenti's base hit to left and threw a laser to Bunting at home to nail Beasley trying to score from second. Freshman Phil Futrick pitched a perfect ninth inning to seal the victory for the Bison.
Sophomore Brian Day also doubled for Bucknell, and Duvall scored a run in his first collegiate start.
Bucknell will take on Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne Thursday morning at 10:30 am at IMG Academy Park.
