Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
at Holy Cross
Bucknell Softball Stretches Win Streak to Seven with Doubleheader Sweep of Holy Cross
4/17/2005 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 17, 2005
WORCESTER, Mass. - Lisa Vaccaro pitched a complete game two-hitter to lead the Bucknell softball team to their seventh straight win, a 4-1 victory in the second game of a doubleheader sweep of Holy Cross Sunday afternoon at Freshman Field. The Bison won the first game 3-1 behind five innings of one-run pitching by Julie Williams and two shutout frames of relief from Christie Wiest.
Williams (4-5), who gave up just three hits and one run in her five innings of work, allowed Holy Cross (7-24 overall, 3-13 PL) to score first for the only time in the four-game series when Mary Beth Ryan led off the first game with a home run to right-center field. However, Williams settled down and retired the next five hitters in order until yielding a two-out single to Holy Cross starting pitcher Michelle Greene (4-9). Only Ryan, who had a one-out double in the third inning, was able to reach base against Williams the rest of the way as she retired 10 of the last 11 batters she faced, including the final eight in a row before giving way to Wiest in the sixth with the Bison leading 2-1.
Bucknell (12-17 overall, 5-9 PL) built its one-run advantage by scoring single runs in the second and fourth innings. The first run came when Jennifer James hit a foul pop past first base with the bases loaded that was handled by first baseman Amanda Webster. Megan Fink, who walked to lead off the inning dashed home to tie the game at 1-1.
The go-ahead run in the fourth inning came with the bases loaded as well. Erin Curatola led off the inning with a double, and Greene loaded the bases with walks to Alyssa Schneebaum and James. With one out Jill Pompeii grounded out to short to score Curatola.
Greene, who gave up just two hits and two runs in four innings of work was plagued by walks as she gave eight free passes to Bucknell hitters, including three to Lauren Wible, who was 2-for-4 in the doubleheader and is hitting .525 this season.
Sheena Stangler replaced Greene in the fifth and retired six of the first seven batters she faced and struck out five hitters in just three innings of work. However, the Bison, who scored at least one run in the final inning of all four games in the series, were able to touch her for an insurance run in the seventh inning. Wible laced a leadoff single through the right side to get things started. After Kris Devore struck out, Megan Good smacked a double to set up runners on second and third with one out for Fink. Stangler got Fink to strike out, but Curatola picked up her second hit of the game to drive in Monica Grinage, who pinch ran for Wible.
Wiest, who earned her first save by pitching a scoreless final two innings, did allow four hits, including singles to three of the first four hitters she faced, but was able to hold the Crusaders without a run.
Vaccaro (4-5) was the Bucknell standout in the second game as she retired the first 10 hitters and allowed just two runners to get as far as second base. The sophomore allowed only two hits and walked one as just three hitters reached base. Holy Cross' only run came on a Nicole Dessingue home run to lead off the fifth inning. Jayme Elliott, who was the only other Crusader to reach second, laid down a bunt single in the fourth, and advanced to second on a ground out by Alycia FitzPatrick, but moved no further.
All four of Bucknell's runs came on home runs as Devore, Wible and James each hit one. Devore staked Vaccaro to an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run off Holy Cross starter Lindsey MacNeil (3-9) leading off the second inning. Wible hit hers, a two-run shot, in the fifth inning, while James added an insurance run in the seventh with her second home run in two days to give Bucknell a 4-1 lead.
MacNeil gave up only one other hit, a single to Lauren Litts in the fifth, as she pitched a complete game. However, the sophomore did walk four hitters while recording three strikeouts.
Bucknell entered the four-game weekend series with just five home runs to its credit as a team. The Bison battered the Crusader pitching staff for nine home runs in the four games, including four by Wible. The junior, who had three home runs each of her first two seasons, equaled the Bucknell career record of 12 home runs with her blast Sunday. She moved into a tie with Charity Ford and Lisa Fink, the older sister of current Bison Megan Fink.
Bucknell, which was originally schedule to play at Rider on Thursday, April 21, will now travel to Hamilton, N.Y., to make up a doubleheader with league foe Colgate on that same date. The first game of the doubleheader is slated for 3:30 p.m.
