Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bucknell Softball Swept by Lehigh in Patriot League Opener
3/26/2005 7:00:00 AM | Softball
March 26, 2005
Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell sophomore pitcher Lisa Vaccaro limited Lehigh to two runs in 7.2 innings of relief work, but the Mountain Hawks touched up the Bison starters for 12 runs as Lehigh swept a Patriot League doubleheader from Bucknell Saturday afternoon at West Fields. The Mountain Hawks won the first game 5-0 and the second 9-2.
Bucknell (4-7) and Lehigh (16-3), who opened conference play with Saturday's doubleheader, will face each other again Sunday. The first game of the doubleheader was originally scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, but it has been changed to 10 a.m. because of poor weather in the forecast.
With Julie Williams, Bucknell's starting pitcher in the first game, giving up four runs in the first two innings and yielding a leadoff double to Mendy Martin in the third, Vaccaro entered the contest and proceeded to allow just Martin to score the rest of the game. Vaccaro allowed just three hits and three walks, while striking out three hitters, in her five innings of work. Outside of Martin, just one Lehigh base runner reached third base over the final five innings against Vaccaro.
Vaccaro had similar results in the nightcap, allowing just two runs in 2.2 innings. She did not walk a batter, but allowed seven of Lehigh's 12 hits after coming into the contest in relief of starter Christie Wiest with one out in the fifth inning.
Bucknell fell behind early in the first game as the Mountain Hawks sent eight batters to the plate in both the first and second innings. Lehigh, which had its leadoff hitter reach base in each of the first three innings, had three players register a multiple-hit game in the opener. Kelly Kliewer was 3-for-4 with a single and a double and all three of her runs batted in in the first two innings. After grounding out to end the first inning, Martin went 3-for-3 the rest of the game with a pair of doubles. Kate Marvel, who scored two runs and had singles in each of the first two innings, reached base four times in the game by drawing two walks as well.
Despite registering 10 hits, Lehigh was unable to score after the third inning as seven of those came against Williams.
Bucknell was unable to put a rally together as it had just three runners reach second base and mustered just two hits overall, and only one off starter Emily Ling in her five innings of work. Stefanie Forlenza pitched the final two innings and allowed the first two batters she faced, Jill Pompeii (walk) and Heather Haskin (single), to reach base, but retired the final six hitters in order to preserve the shutout.
Lauren Litts, who had a single to right field in the second inning, was the only other Bison to tally a hit in the game.
Both teams were able to put a few more runs on the board in the nightcap as Lehigh once again used the first three innings to stake itself to a large lead. The Mountain Hawks held a 7-1 advantage after scoring three runs in the top of the third off Wiest.
Lehigh did tally 12 hits, but five Bison errors that led to five unearned runs, all in the first three innings, hurt Bucknell. The Bison committed two errors in both the first and third innings and one in the second.
After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning, Bucknell did answer with one run in the bottom of the inning when Megan Fink slapped a ball through the left side of the infield with one out. Lauren Wible, who was 1-for-5 in the doubleheader, grounded out, advancing Fink to second. Litts, who was 2-for-2 in the second game, and 3-for-4 in the doubleheader, smashed a double to right-center field to drive in Bucknell's first run of the day.
The Bison would score again in the fourth inning. Wible led off with a single to center field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Litts. Kris Devore then hit a long drive into right-center field for her first triple of the season to drive Monica Grinage, who pinch ran for Wible, home.
Kate Arico pitched the complete game for Lehigh. She allowed just the two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two Bison. Wiest suffered her first loss of the season for Bucknell as she gave up seven runs, two earned, in 4.1 innings. She allowed just five hits, but walked four batters. She recorded two strikeouts.
Lehigh's most impressive offensive performance in the doubleheader came from Martin. The sophomore shortstop was 5-for-8 with two RBI in the two games. Martin was the only Mountain Hawks to have at least two hits in each game. Six different Lehigh players had at least two hits in one of the games.
Heather Haskin, who was 2-for-6, was the only Bison outside of Litts to register more than one hit in the doubleheader as Bucknell had two hits in the opener and six in the nightcap.
Bucknell and Lehigh will face each other in another doubleheader at West Fields Sunday at 10 a.m.
