Bucknell University
Lafayette *
Bucknell Softball Splits Patriot League Opener at Lafayette
3/27/2004 7:00:00 AM | Softball
March 27, 2004
EASTON, Pa. - The Bucknell softball team opened Patriot League play with a split at Lafayette on Saturday, March 27. The Bison dropped an 11-inning 1-0 game in the opener, before salvaging the split with a 4-2 decision in the nightcap.
In game one of the afternoon, neither team could manufacture any runs through the regulation seven innings, so the squad's headed to the extra frames. Bucknell's best scoring opportunity came in the 10th inning when the Orange and Blue left the bases loaded.
Senior Jenna Fitch opened the inning with a single down the right field line. Freshman Michelle Danish sacrificed Fitch to second, and rookie Jen James drew a walk to place runners on first and second. After a pitching change, sophomore Ashley Sarnecky welcomed Jackie Fitzgerald to the mound with a single to right field, loading the bases for pinch hitter Lauren Litts.
Litts smacked the ball to shortstop, but Jill Masterton alertly threw home to get Fitch at the plate. Fitzgerald got junior Jill Potts to ground out to third base to get out of the inning.
The Leopards finally capitalized on one of their eight hits in the game in the bottom of the 11th inning. Masterton drew a walk to start the frame, and after being sacrificed to second, moved over to third on Tara Martinho's ground out to the pitcher. Erin Pawlak then stepped in and singled to centerfield to score Masterton and end the game.
Pompeii was the only Bison to record more than one hit, going 2-for-5, and the team collected just four hits. Junior Kelli Haskins threw all 10.2 innings for BU, striking out four and walking three to fall to 2-4 on the year.
In the second game, Bucknell took advantage of early opportunities, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after three innings. Senior Kristen Potts opened the game with a single down the left field line before Pompeii sacrificed her to second. Senior Angela Stackhouse followed with a single the opposite way to put runners on the corners. A wild pitch from Lafayette's Lauren Belowich gave the Bison the early 1-0 lead.
Stackhouse struck again in the third, delivering a two-out RBI double down the leftfield line to score Pompeii, who had walked just before.
The Leopards got one back in their half of the fourth, but Litts' first career homerun in the top of the fifth, and sophomore Kris Devore's RBI single in the sixth made it a 4-1 game. Lafayette had three singles in the bottom of the sixth, scoring once to get within 4-2, before sophomore hurler Julie Williams got Kathryn Longshore to hit into a double play to end the inning.
Williams improved to 2-2 on the season, going 7.0 innings, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out five and walking two. Stackhouse was 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles, while Potts had her first multiple-hit game of the season, going 2-for-4.
Bucknell is 4-7 overall and 1-1 in the Patriot League. The Bison play another doubleheader against Lafayette on Sunday, March 28, beginning at 12 p.m.
