Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Bloomsburg
Brian Hirschberg Hits for the Cycle to Lead Bison Baseball to a Sweep of Bloomsburg
3/22/2003 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 22, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Junior Brian Hirschberg became only the second Bucknell player to hit for the cycle, capping it with a seventh inning grand slam, to highlight Bucknell's double header sweep of Bloomsburg. Bucknell jumps to 6-4 on the season with 10-6 and 16-7 victories over the Huskies.
In game one, the Bison took the lead, 2-1, in the second inning and never looked back. Hirschberg hit a double into center field, scoring Pete Wolf. Hirschberg later scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Steve Stutzman.
In the fourth inning, Wolf hit a single, Hirschberg tripled, Brian Day hit a double and Stutzman singled to up the score to 5-1. The Huskies scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to close within 5-3 before Bucknell's Stutzman added another run in the sixth inning. Stutzman scored on a single by Phil Bunting.
The Bison pulled away in the seventh when Ben Stoll singled to the left side, both Sam Moss and Wolf walked. Hirschberg game to bat only needing a home run to complete the cycle, and the right fielder did just that. The junior adds his name next to Bucknell Hall-of-Famer Ted Aceto, who was the first Bison to hit for the cycle versus Pittsburgh in 1989.
Bloomsburg tried to play catch-up with, adding three runs to the board in the bottom of the seventh. Kevin Miller pitched six innings for Herd and gave up three earned runs on six hits. Freshman Marc Cussatt made his first collegiate appearance in the seventh inning and gave up three runs. Nick Yaeger also made an appearance in the seventh inning allowing only one hit. Hirschberg recorded a team high six runs batted in.
Bucknell took the lead early in game two against the Huskies. The Herd snatched four runs off of two hits and one error in the second inning. Wolf, Austin Barrett, Bunting and B.J. Batterson scored runs. Bloomsburg grabbed three runs off of two hits and one error in the bottom of the second.
Neither team scored again until the fifth inning. Brad Duvall scored one run off of a triple hit by Ben Krentzman. The Huskies tied the game at 5-5 with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Bucknell rallied huge in the top of the seventh scoring 11 runs off of only five hits. The Bison scored two runs before the Huskies pulled Mike Robertson from the mound and replaced him with Mike Kelchak. Kelchak knocked off two outs in the first two at bats and then walked three straight Bison, forcing in two runs. Bunting belted a triple to plate three runs. Klechak walked Batterson before Matt Capese hit a triple into right field, scoring two more runs. Moss pinched hit for Duvall and homered into right field to close Herd's 11-run onslaught. The Orange and Blue's 11 runs in the last inning was only one shy of the school record for runs scored in an inning, held by the 2000 Bison team versus Lafayette.
R.J. Grant earned the win on the mound. He gave up seven runs, six of them earned, off of eight hits. The senior pitcher struck out four and walked three. Capece marked a team high five runs batted in. Bloomsburg drops to 10-8 on the season.
The Bison will host Lock Haven in a doubleheader on Sunday, March 23. The two-game series will begin at noon.
