Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Fordham
Bucknell Baseball Wins in Ninth Over Fordham, 5-4
3/6/2004 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 6, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell baseball won the opening game of the 2004 season at Depew Field in dramatic fashion, as the Bison's leftfielder, Chris Mahony, scored from second on a throwing error by Fordham second baseman Kurt Thomas, taking the game 5-4. Tim Peacock picked up the win after throwing 1 1/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit baseball in relief of Kevin Miller.
Offensively, Mahony and Kyle Walter led Bucknell with three hits each. Miller scattered five hits in his 7 2/3 innings.
But before the ninth-inning drama, Bucknell had to play catch-up for most of the game. Fordham got one run and threatened more in the first. With the bases loaded and one out, Miller struck out Fordham third baseman Jordan Lert to put him with in an out of ending the threat. But before Miller got Ram catcher John Mollicone to fly out, he walked Fordham centerfielder Tim Short to score the game's first run.
Fordham added three more in the third. Greg Smith scored the first run of the inning after Bucknell catcher Phil Bunting dropped a throw from third base that should have had Smith out. Short tripled bring in another run, and then scored himself on a Miller wild pitch.
But Miller would keep Fordham off the board for the rest of his tenure. Bucknell third baseman Steve Stutzman hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to put Bucknell back in the game. Two innings later, Mahony doubled home Brian Day to knot the game at four.
After Mahony singled to open the ninth off Fordham's Derek Hucke, Bucknell shortstop Ben Stoll sacrified Mahony to second. Austin Barrett pinch hit for Bucknell second baseman Sam Moss, who went hitless on the day. Intent on taking third, Mahony earned a bonus as Thomas threw Barrett's grounder beyond the reach of Gwozdz, allowing Bucknell to take the game.
Fordham's starter, John Baco, lasted five innings and gave up six hits, but none bigger than Stutzman's homer. Shingo Mitsumori pitched three innings, but found no run support after giving up the game-tying run in the sixth. Hucke came on in the ninth and dropped his record to 0-1.
The game got started at 2:25 after a rain delay that lasted more than two hours. The delay caused the scheduled doubleheader to be shortened to one game. However, Bucknell and Fordham will play two on Sunday, with game one starting at 11 a.m., one hour earlier than the previously scheduled start. Tomorrow's first game is scheduled to last seven innings, with nine for the nightcap.
Fordham 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 7 2 Bucknell 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 - 5 9 2 Miller, Peacock (8) and Bunting; Baco, Mitsumori (6), Hucke (9) and Mollicone.
WP - Peacock (1-1). LP - Hucke (0-1).
RBI - F: Lert, Short (2). B: Stutzman (3), Mahony.
2B - B: Walter, Hirschberg, Mahony. 3B - F: Short. HR - B: Stutzman.Team Records: Bucknell 2-2. Fordham 1-6.
