Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Bison Pound Lafayette 8-1 in Game One, Slide Past Leopards 4-3 in Second Game
4/23/2005 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 23, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team picked up two Patriot League wins on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Lafayette in a doubleheader, at Depew Field in Lewisburg, Pa. The Bison pounded the Leopards 8-1, in game one and followed up with a slim 4-3 win in the second game that was called after 5.5 innings because of inclement weather in the Lewisburg area.
The Bison got out to the early lead in the game one as Chris Brannan hit a sacrifice fly to plate Matt Capece to go ahead 1-0, in the bottom of the first inning. Bucknell put another run on the board in the inning as Jason Buursma singled to center field scoring Kyle Walter.
Matt Curry got the win, throwing all seven innings in game one to move to 4-4 on the season. His Bison teammates backed him up on defense, pulling Curry out of several jams by playing errorless baseball. The Leopards threatened by loading the bases with no one out in the top of the third. The Bison came out of the situation unscathed, catching a pop fly and turning a double play to end the inning.
Lafayette finally scored in the top of the fifth as James Conrad scored on a double by Ian Law. The Bison reacted in a big way, putting six runs on the board in their half of the fifth.
Evan Weiss started the charge with a lead-off single through the left side. Capece followed with a single to right field and Walter walked to load the bases. Brian Day then smacked a single to score Weiss. Brannan came up next and smashed a double down the right field line, scoring Capece and Walter. Buursma followed with the second double of the inning, plating Day and Brannan. Buursma would score the final run of the inning, coming home on a single by Brad Duvall.
Buursma led the Bison at the plate in game one, tallying a perfect 3-for-3 showing with three RBI. Brannan also drove in three runs on the game while Weiss added two hits.
Lafayette got out to a quick start in game two, scoring one run on three hits in the first inning. Bucknell snatched the lead in the bottom of the opening inning, as Walter got the rally started with a two-out single to center. Day followed with a double down the left field line. Buursma plated both teammates with a hard-hit single to right center.
The Leopards took the lead in the top of the third, as Adam Bucci singled to right center, scoring Law. Clint Losch followed with a single through the right side to score Kevin Leasure and make the score 3-2.
The Bison charged back in the bottom of the fourth, as Phil Bunting and Brad Duvall scored on a double by Capece to make the score 4-3. The rains came with one batter out in the bottom of the sixth, causing an early end to the contest.
Buursma came through on the mound for the Bison, pitching the final three innings in relief without giving up a hit. The freshman claimed his first win of the season, to move to 1-2. Buursma also led the team in hits again in game two, going 2-for-3, including a triple.
Bucknell improves to 12-22 overall, 6-8 in the PL, while Lafayette falls to 15-21, 3-7. The two teams will clash again tomorrow at Depew Field, with the first game of the doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
