Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
St. Francis (PA)
Bucknell Sweeps Softball Doubleheader from Saint Francis (Pa.), 11-3 & 9-2
4/14/2005 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 14, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell softball team's offense exploded for 20 runs on 21 hits in a non-league doubleheader sweep of Saint Francis (Pa.) Thursday afternoon at West Fields. The Bison scored a season-high 11 runs in an 11-3 five-inning victory in the opener. They followed that up by tallying 10 hits during a 9-2 win in the nightcap. The Red Flash committed four errors in each contest.
Bucknell (8-17) finally got on the board by plating six runs in the bottom of the third after Saint Francis (7-28) touched Bison starter Julie Williams (2-5) for three runs in the first three innings, including two in the top of the second. Bucknell sent 10 hitters to the plate and saw the first three reach on singles off of Red Flash starter Ashley Harlan (3-13) in the third. The big blows in the inning were back-to-back two-out RBI triples by Megan Fink and Ashley Sarnecky, the eighth and ninth place hitters in the lineup. Just two of the runs scored in the inning were earned runs for Harlan. The Bison tallied their six runs on just five hits.
Williams settled down in the fourth inning and retired Saint Francis one-two-three giving Bucknell a chance to tack another run on in the bottom of the inning. Jill Pompeii led the frame off with a single to right field that Christine MacDonald misplayed and let roll to the outfield fence. Pompeii raced around the bases and scored. Harlan, who the only pitcher the Red Flash used in the doubleheader, retired three of the next four hitters to get out of the inning.
Lisa Vaccaro relieved Williams in the fifth inning and retired the side in order as Bucknell pitchers did not allow any of the last seven hitters in the game to reach base.
The Bison clinched the game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, invoking the eight-run mercy rule. All four runs scored after Heather Haskin and Fink, the first two hitters in the inning, got out. Back-to-back singles by Sarnecky and Jennifer James, and a walk to Pompeii, loaded the bases for the nation's leading hitter, Lauren Wible. Entering the game Wible's .524 batting average was tops in the country. After a wild pitch by Harlan, Wible hit a grounder toward second baseman Vickey Greenough that she could not handle and allowed two more runs to score. Monica Grinage promptly pinch ran for Wible at second base. Lauren Litts, the clean-up hitter who was 3-for-5 with two runs batted in during the doubleheader, lined a ball over MacDonald's head in right to score Grinage and give Bucknell an eight-run cushion.
The Bison scored their 11 runs on 11 hits, but committed a pair of errors. Saint Francis managed just five hits, all against Williams, and three runs, while committing four errors. Williams was charged with just two earned runs and did not walk a batter while recording one strikeout. Harlan gave up all 11 runs, but just four were earned. She walked three and struck out two in her 4.2 innings of work.
It was more of the same in the nightcap as Bucknell took an 8-1 lead by scoring six runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Red Flash took the early lead again as Nicole Bender singled home Jordanna Riggi, who reached on an error by shortstop Haskin, in the first inning.
Bucknell quickly answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Wible, who was 2-for-3 with three RBI in the second game, knocked home Pompeii with a double to right field to tie the game at 1-1. Litts followed with an RBI double to center to give the Bison the lead for good.
Neither team scored again until Bucknell sent 11 hitters to the plate in the third inning against Harlan. The big blow in the inning which saw the first six batters reach base by a hit or a walk was a two-run double by Wible. James tallied two singles in the inning from her leadoff position.
Harlan, who pitched six innings and gave up 10 hits, nine runs, seven earned, three walks and struck out three, settled down after that, allowing no more than five Bison to come to the plate in any of the last three innings. Bucknell did add one more run in the fifth inning when Megan Good led off with a single up the middle. With one out Michelle Danish walked to bring Sarnecky to the plate with runners on first and second and one out. She lofted a fly ball to right field which MacDonald caught. However, when she threw to third in an attempt to get Good, who tagged up, the throw got past the third baseman and Good scored the final run of the contest.
Christie Wiest (4-6) started and pitched an effective four innings for Bucknell. She allowed five hits and one unearned run while not walking a batter and striking out three. Lisa Vaccaro came on in the fifth inning and picked up the save by pitching the final three frames. She gave up just three hits and one run for her first save of the season.
Bucknell had a number of players have successful days, but the top of the lineup in each game was key. The first three batters in the lineup - James, Pompeii and Wible - were 11-for-21 combined in the two games. That trio scored 11 runs and drove in four more. Wible, who was 3-for-7 in the doubleheader, saw her average remain above the .500 mark at .514.
Bucknell returns to Patriot League play this weekend when it travels to Worcester, Mass., for a four-game series with Holy Cross.
