Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army *
Army Finishes Four-Game Sweep of Bucknell Baseball
4/10/2004 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 10, 2004
WEST POINT, N.Y. - - Based on Bucknell baseball's pattern of taking three of four league games each of the first two Patriot League weekends, prospects looked good for the Patriot League Tournament to be held at Bucknell once again. But Army's nine has put those plans on hold for Bucknell, putting the Bison five games out of first place with a weekend sweep at West Point. The Black Knights overpowered Bucknell in Saturday's first game, 12-4, before completing the sweep 8-4 in game two. It was the first time since Bucknell's last visit to Army in 2002 that the Bison have been swept in a Patriot League series.
Phil Futrick (3-2) was hit early, giving up nine runs and being pulled from the game before recording an out in the second inning. In the second game, Cory Nadler (2-2) fared better than teammate Futrick but was handed his first loss of the league season. Offensively, Kyle Walter led Bucknell again, following up his three-for-five game in Friday's nightcap with five hits on Saturday including two home runs.
In the opening game, the Bison left the bases loaded in the first when with two out, Brian Hirschberg flew to centerfield. Army made Bucknell pay for the missed opportunity in the bottom of the inning. With Wes Bumgardner reaching on a fielding error by Steve Stutzman and a hit-by-pitch to Milan Dinga, Schuylar Williamson hurt the Bison for the second straight day with a three-run home to left-center field run for a 3-0 Army lead. The Black Knights built the lead to 5-0, all with none out, when Jeremy Stache tripled home two more runs.
Army's bats stayed hot in the second inning, as Dinga scored Kyle Scogin and Bumgardner scored on a Futrick wild pitch for a 7-0 lead. Dinga gave Army its eighth run off a Walker Gorham hit before Futrick was pulled with none out in the inning. Futrick faced 13 batters and allowed 10 to reach including eight via hits. Tim Peacock relieved for the Bison, and the Army lead grew to 10-0 when Justin Long had a two-RBI single before Peacock was able to end the frame.
Bucknell chipped away at the lead but could not surmount the gap. Kyle Walter hit his third home run this season, a solo shot in the third inning. Austin Barrett added Bucknell's second run when he scored Pete Wolf with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Ben Stoll followed with a single to score Hirschberg to make the score 10-3. The Bison got to within 10-4 in the fifth when Chris Mahony singled home Walter. Bucknell got all its runs off Army starter Justin Kashner (4-2), who surrendered six hits and four runs with two earned. Wade Greenlee relieved for Army in the final two innings, retiring each batter he faced.
Army managed to push the lead two further in the fifth when Dinga singled home Scogin and Williamson followed with an RBI-single to score Dinga and give Army a 12-4 advantage. Peacock gave up three runs, one earned, on four hits in his five innings.
The Black Knights again brought out the bats in game two, taking a 1-0 lead in the first when Dinga scored Bumgardner, and a 3-0 lead on Nolan Cork's third home run of the weekend and seventh of the year, which brought home Stache as well in the second inning.
Bucknell answered in the top of the fourth with Walter's second home run of the day and team-high fourth of the season, another solo shot. The Bison then had three straight hits and cut the lead to 3-2 with a Mahony RBI-single that scored Brian Day. Walter tied the game with a single through the left side that scored Barrett in the fifth, bouncing Army starter Dan Cappello from the game. Cappello gave up eight hits and all four Bison runs. Pete Wolf greeted Army reliever Brad Johnson with a groundout that scored Capece and gave Bucknell a 4-3 lead. Johnson threw 3 2/3 innings, giving up just three hits with five strikeouts before Greenlee closed in the ninth with two hits. The Bison also stranded nine runners in game two, hurting Bucknell's chances to split day two.
But the Black Knights struck again with a two-run home run from Scogin, the ninth home run of the weekend by both teams, all of which took advantage of the windy conditions at Army and flew over the left or left-center field wall. With the bases loaded and two out, Nadler hit Nate Stone with a pitch, allowing Army to take a 6-4 margin. Nadler finished the game with 5 1/3 innings pitched, giving up seven runs on five hits. Nathan Mittag came in for relief and allowed RBI-singles to Bumgardner and Dinga before ending the sixth with an 8-4 Army lead. Mittag finished with four hits and one run surrendered in 2 2/3 innings.
Bucknell will play next in a non-conference battle at St. Bonaventure on Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Game 1 Bucknell 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 -- 4 6 4 Army 5 5 0 0 2 0 x -- 12 12 1
Futrick, Peacock (2) and Barrett; Kashner, Greenlee (6) and Williamson.
WP - Kashner (4-2). LP - Futrick (3-2). RBI - B: Stoll, Walter, Mahony, Barrett;
A: Dinga 2, Williamson 4, Gorham, Stache 2, Long 2. 2B - B: Capece, Walter, Hirschberg; A: Scogin.
3B: - A: Stache. HR - B: Walter (3); A: Williamson (6).Team Records: Army 22-9, 10-1 PL. Bucknell 16-12, 6-5 PL.
Game 2 Bucknell 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 -- 4 13 0 Army 1 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 x -- 8 9 2
Nadler, Mittag (6) and Barrett; Kashner, Johnson (5), Greenlee (9) and Williamson.
WP - Johnson (3-2). LP - Nadler (2-2). RBI - B: Walter 2, Wolf, Mahony;
A: Bumgardner, Dinga 2, Stone, Cork 2, Scogin 2. 2B - B: Duvall, Barrett. 3B: - A: Bumgardner.
HR - B: Walter (4); A: Cork (7), Scogin (1).Team Records: Army 23-9, 11-1 PL. Bucknell 16-13, 6-6 PL.
