Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Mount St. Mary's (Md.)
Mount St. Mary's Gets Two-Out Four-Run Sixth to Beat Bucknell Baseball, 6-5
3/31/2004 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 31, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Mount St. Mary's (13-8) scored four runs in the sixth inning with two outs against them off Ryan Gryskevicz to take a lead it would not relinquish over the Bucknell baseball squad (12-8), taking the non-conference tilt 6-5. Steve Stone (2-2) earned the win for the Mountaineers, while Gryskevicz's record falls to 0-2 with the defeat.
Eight players shared Bucknell's nine hits, with Chris Grandizio the only Bison to record two. Phil Bunting had two of Bucknell's four RBI. James Serafin had two hits for the Mountaineers.
The Bison let pass an excellent chance to score in the bottom of the first, when Bucknell loaded the bases with one out, but Brian Hirschberg grounded into an inning-ending double play. Defensive mistakes allowed the Mountaineers to get on the scoreboard first in the top of the second. Third baseman Steve Stutzman failed to pick up a ground ball that allowed right fielder Jason Weszka to reach safely. Mount St. Mary's loaded the bases with an Eric Smith single and a throwing error by Bucknell catcher Bunting that let designated hitter Burt Stormes reach. With none out, Bucknell starter Jacob Moss nearly got out of the bases-loaded jam, but Serafin had a two-out, two-strike infield hit that brought home Weszka.
Bucknell evened the score in the bottom of the second when Bunting doubled home Grandizio, and went ahead 2-1 in the fourth when Chris Mahony, the Patriot League's leading hitter at .449 going into the game, singled home Hirschberg, who started off the inning with a triple. Later in the inning, after the Bison loaded the bases with none out, Bunting grounded out to bring home Mahony, and Ben Stoll flew out to right, scoring Grandizio and giving the Bison a 4-1 lead. Mount St. Mary's starter Chad Wolfe left the game after four innings, giving up eight hits and all four of Bucknell's runs.
The Mountaineers skimmed one run off the lead in the fifth and gave Moss his first earned run of the season in his 15th inning of work when Justus Yocum singled home Serafin. Gryskevicz entered the game to start the sixth, after Moss threw five innings, allowing five Mountaineer hits and two runs with one earned. With two out in the sixth, the Mountaineers got four hits and a walk to take a 6-4 lead. Mount St. Mary's scored its first run of the inning when Adam Schlenoff doubled home Jim Jefferson, and the Mountaineers tied the contest when Justus Yocum singled home Schlenoff. The lead switched hands on Danny Fowler's RBI-single that scored Serafin, and the Mountaineers built the 6-4 advantage when Yocum scored on a Gryskevicz balk.
Bucknell cut the lead to 6-5 when Brad Duvall scored on a wild pitch in the seventh off Mountaineer reliever Steve Stone. Gryskevicz left after two innings and four runs on four hits, giving way to Marc Cussatt. The sophomore kept the Mountaineers off the board and allowed no hits in his two innings of work.
Stone left after the eighth, having thrown four innings and given up just one hit and one earned run. Justin Davis entered for the ninth and earned his first save of the season, getting the Bison in order.
Bucknell will resume its Patriot League schedule on Saturday for the first of two days of doubleheaders against Lehigh starting at 12 p.m.
Mount St. Mary's 0 1 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 -- 6 9 5 Bucknell 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 -- 5 9 2Moss, J., Gryskevicz (6), Cussatt (8) and Bunting, Barrett (6); Wolfe, Stone (5), Davis (9) and Schlenoff.
WP - Stone (2-2). LP - Gryskevicz (0-2). Save - Davis (1).
RBI: B - Stoll, Mahony, Bunting 2; M - Yocum, Fowler, Kotula, Schlenoff, Serafin.
2B: B - Bunting; M - Schlenoff. 3B: B - Hirschberg.
