Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette *
Bucknell Baseball Clinches Regular Season Title After Sweeping Lafayette
4/27/2003 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 27, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - After dedicating their home field in honor of Gene Depew, the Bison rewarded their head coach with a doubleheader sweep of Lafayette on Sunday. The 2-1 and 3-0 victories, coupled with Navy's loss at Lehigh, clinched the Patriot League regular-season title for the Bison, giving them home field advantage at the PL Tournament for the third time since 1996.
Bucknell is now 23-12, 13-5 PL, while Lafayette drops to 12-18, 7-10 PL.
Kevin Miller pitched 6.1 innings in game one and is now 7-0 on the season. Miller kept the Leopards to only one run on seven hits. Freshman Phil Futrick set a new Patriot League saves record after earning his 10th save of the season. Futrick ended game one with a clean slate and one strike out.
The Bison grabbed both of their runs in the second inning after Kyle Walter started with a single up the middle. Phil Bunting then singled, and Walter advanced home on an error by Lafayette's Russ Giglio in left field. Bunting moved to third on a single by B.J. Batterson and later stole home to give Bucknell a 2-0 lead.
Lafayette scored in the third inning when Giglio drove in Eric Vacca to close the gap to 2-1.
Batterson went 2-for-2 in game one.
Stunning pitching by R.J. Grant (5-3) and Matt Daley held the Leopards to only two hits in the nightcap. Grant pitched six innings, striking out four and walking five. Grant and Daley each gave up one hit. Daley replaced Grant in the top of the seventh and earned his fourth save.
Bucknell earned all three runs in the first inning of the nightcap. Lead-off hitter Ben Stoll walked and moved to second on Sam Moss's third sacrifice bunt of the day. Pete Wolf hit a double to left field that plated Stoll and the Bison took a 1-0 lead. Back-to-back singles by Ben Krentzman and Walter plated Wolf, and Krentzman slid home safely on the front end of a double steal to make it 3-0.
Sam Moss broke the BU career record for sacrifice bunts in one season. He now holds a spot in the record books for sacrifice bunts in a season (14) and in a career (16).
Hirschberg finished 2-for-3, including a triple to deep center.
Depew Field will be the host site for the Patriot League Tournament on May 10-11. Prio to the Lafayette doubleheader, the field was formally dedicated in honor of Bucknell's 22-year head baseball coach. Depew's mother, Phyllis, threw out the first pitch.
The Bison return to Depew Field on Monday, April 28 to host the second doubleheader versus Lafayette which was postponed on Saturday. The first pitch will be delivered at 1 p.m.
