Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Colgate
Litts, Wiest Lead Bucknell Softball to Doubleheader Split Against Colgate
4/21/2005 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 21, 2005
HAMILTON, N.Y. - Lauren Litts hit a grand slam to cap a six-run fourth inning and Christie Wiest pitched a two-hit shutout to lead the Bucknell softball team to a 9-0 five-inning victory over Colgate in the first game of a Patriot League doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Eaton Street Field. The Raiders answered that with their own two-hit shutout performance from starting pitcher Kate Howard in the second game as they scored seven runs in the third inning en route to an 8-0 five-inning win.
Wiest (5-6) allowed only three hitters to reach base, and each came with two outs. LaPorscha Albert doubled with two outs in the third inning, while Erin O'Keefe singled to right with two down in the fifth. Wiest also walked Whitney Scott with two outs in the second inning as Albert was the only Colgate (16-17, 8-8 PL) player to reach second base in the contest. The shutout was the second of the season for Wiest, who tallied two strikeouts.
Bucknell (13-8, 6-10 PL), which extended its winning streak to eight games by winning the first game, jumped out on top 1-0 in the first without a hit off of Kelsey Nordstrom (8-8). Jennifer James reached on a leadoff walk and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jill Pompeii and a groundout by the country's leading hitter, Lauren Wible, who was 2-for-4 in the doubleheader and is hitting .524 this season. James then scored when Litts hit a sharp grounder to second that got past Albert and into right field.
After going down in order in the second, the Bison plated two more runs in the third inning. Ashley Sarnecky, the ninth-place hitter, ripped her first career home run to right-center field to lead off the inning. The other run came on another fielding error by Albert. Pompeii and Wible doubled and singled, respectively. Then, with two outs, Megan Good hit one that Albert couldn't handle that scored Pompeii from third.
The Bison blew the game open in the fourth inning with six runs, including Litts' grand slam, her fourth home run of the season. James knocked in the first run, which was Kris Devore from second base, with the third single of the inning off Nordstrom, who pitched all five innings and was touched for nine hits and nine runs, seven of which were earned. She also walked three and struck out six. The next run came across the plate when, on ball four to Pompeii, the catcher, Jessica Bentovoja, was charged with a passed ball that allowed Sarnecky to scamper home from third. Pompeii advanced to second, which set up an open base for Nordstrom to walk Wible and load the bases for Litts. Litts made Colgate pay by crushing the 12th home run in the last five games for Bucknell and give the Bison a 9-0 lead.
Bucknell nearly tacked more runs in the fifth inning when Devore and Alyssa Schneebaum had back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. However, Devore was caught stealing before Schneebaum's hit.
Both games lasted just five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule. If a team is leading by eight runs or more at the end of five innings, the game ends.
Colgate had its chance for revenge in the second game as Howard (8-9) allowed only singles to Wible and Devore and did not let either runner advance past first base. Those were the only two baserunners in the second game for the Bison as Howard did not walk a batter and struck out six.
The Bucknell pitchers did not fare as well, although all seven runs the Raiders scored in the third inning when they sent 12 hitters to the plate were unearned.
Lisa Vaccaro (4-6) made the start for Bucknell and lasted 2.2 innings. She allowed five runs on four hits, one walks and struck out two. Just one run, which came on an RBI single from Bentovoja in the second, was earned. Julie Williams relieved her with two outs in the third, but allowed three hits and walked one as she gave up three unearned runs. Wiest pitched a perfect fourth inning to hold Colgate in check, but it was too late as the Raiders had already built an eight-run cushion.
Bucknell allowed just five hits in the third inning, but Megan Fink, Pompeii and Sarnecky all committed errors in the frame. The big blow in the inning was a three-run home run by Albert off Williams.
Devore, who was 2-for-3 in the first game, led the Bison with three hits on the day. Wible and Sarnecky each had two hits in the doubleheader.
Bucknell wraps up Patriot League play this weekend hosting a four-game weekend series against Lafayette at West Fields. The Bison will clinch a berth in the Patriot League Tournament for the second consecutive year with two wins, or with one win and a Holy Cross loss to Colgate.
