Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Holy Cross *
Bucknell Baseball Swept on Saturday by Holy Cross; Four-Way Tie for Playoff Bid
4/24/2004 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Before Bucknell (17-20, 7-11 PL) suffered two losses to Holy Cross (11-20-1, 7-11 PL) on Saturday, 2-0 in the opener and 7-4 in an extra-inning nightcap, the Bison's path to the postseason was simpler. But now that the Crusaders have pulled themselves into the race, other events around the league have put Bucknell into a tie with three other teams for the last bid into the Patriot League Tournament.
Kevin Miller threw well in game one but received no run support as his record dropped to 2-5 with the complete-game four-hit performance. Miller struck out six and walked one. Cory Nadler didn't allow a hit through five innings in the second game, but the Holy Cross bats eventually came around as the senior received a no-decision. Offensively, four Bison split Bucknell's four hits in game one, while the first five batters in the Bucknell order all had two hits in the 11-inning nightcap.
Holy Cross opened the scoring in game one with a first-inning RBI-single from Mike Schell that scored Tucker Frawley. The Crusaders added another run in the fifth when Frawley singles home Tom Potvin. No runner reached third base for the Bison in game one, as Jim McCloud (1-3) struck out five and handed out no free passes while going the distance in an errorless game for both teams.
Nadler retired the first 14 Crusaders he faced before allowing a walk to Andy Sweeney in the fifth. Holy Cross started hitting in the sixth, though, as Frawley singles home Potvin and scored with the help of a Steve Stutzman error to put Holy Cross up 2-1. Bucknell got its first run in the fourth when Ben Stoll singled home Stutzman.
The visitors added one more in the seventh on a Potvin RBI-single, and another in the ninth on an Ed Turner run-scoring hit. Holy Cross starter Mike Miller left the game after eight innings, giving up 11 hits but benefiting from nine Bucknell runners stranded. Scott Hampe came on to relieve for Holy Cross in the ninth looking for a save, but instead gave up a walk to Evan Weiss, committed a throwing error that allowed Stoll to reach safely, allowed an RBI-double to Sam Moss and a two-RBI single to Pete Wolf that tied the game. Matt Blake (2-1) came on and quieted the Bison bats for 2 1/3 innings.
Phil Futrick (3-4) relieved for Nadler in the seventh. Nadler ended up surrendering three runs on five hits with two walks in his 6 2/3 innings. Futrick stayed on into the 11th, when with two outs, he hit Potvin and Turner reached on a Stutzman error. After a two-RBI double from Frawley and another run-scoring single from McCloud, Holy Cross went up 7-4.
Army and Lafayette are the first and second seeds, respectively, in the Patriot League Tournament held May 8-9, but the third and final seed will come from the four teams tied at 7-11. Bucknell holds tiebreakers over Navy and Lehigh but not over Holy Cross. The Bison and Crusaders will end the league season with a Senior Day doubleheader on Sunday at 12 p.m.
Game 1 Holy Cross 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 -- 2 4 0 Bucknell 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0 4 0
McCloud and Marron, Miller and Bunting. WP - McCloud (1-3). LP - Miller (2-5).
RBI - H: Frawley, Schell.Team Records: Holy Cross 10-20-1, 7-10 PL. Bucknell 17-19, 6-11 PL.
Game 2 Holy Cross 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 3 -- 7 10 1 Bucknell 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 -- 4 14 4
Miller, Hampe (9), Blake (9) and Marron; Nadler, Futrick (7) and Bunting, Barrett (10).
WP - Blake (2-1). LP - Futrick (3-4). RBI - H: Frawley, McCloud, Potvin, Turner.
B: Stoll, Moss, Wolf 2. 2B - H: Frawley. B: Moss, Hirschberg, Stutzman.Team Records: Holy Cross 11-20-1, 7-11 PL. Bucknell 17-20, 7-11 PL.
