Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Holy Cross*
Bucknell Softball Closes out Home Slate with Doubleheader Split Against Holy Cross
4/24/2006 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 24, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Kris Devore (Washington, Pa./Trinity) hit a solo home run and tallied an RBI single, while Christie Wiest (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) pitched her fourth consecutive complete game while allowing less than two runs to help the Bucknell softball team to a 4-1 victory over Holy Cross in the nightcap of a doubleheader split Monday afternoon at West Fields. The Bison dropped the first game 7-3 in eight innings even though the score was tied 1-1 going into the eighth.
Bucknell (14-32, 7-9 Patriot League) pounded out 11 hits and scored single runs in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings in the second game. An RBI double by Lauren Litts (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg) in the first inning was the third straight one-out hit and plated the first run of the game off Holy Cross (8-29, 4-12 PL) starter Lindsey MacNeil.
The Crusaders evened the score in the second when the first three hitters reached to load the bases and Brooke Perrone grounded out to first as Wiest worked out of the jam with just the one run against her.
Devore hit a solo home run over the centerfield fence in the third and drove home Kristin Frick (West Chester, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) with a single up the middle in the fifth. Ashley Carlson (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) scored the other run for the Bison after Holy Cross committed two errors in the fourth inning.
Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover), who was 6-for-9 in the doubleheader, Wible, Devore and Michelle Danish (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) each registered two hits for Bucknell. Seven different Crusaders had one hit apiece for Holy Cross' total of seven.
Wiest (4-11) worked out of a number of jams, including the one with the bases loaded and none out in the second, to record her ninth complete game of the season. She has thrown a complete game in each of her last four starts and not yielded more than two runs in any of them. Over that span she owns a 1.04 ERA. She walked two and struck out two in her seven innings of work Monday.
Marsha Babcock (4-10) relieved MacNeil one out into the second inning with runners on first and second and finished the inning unscathed. She allowed six hits and three runs the rest of the way. MacNeil yielded five hits and one run in 1.1 innings.
The first game was low scoring through the first seven innings with each team managing just one run, but Holy Cross exploded for six runs in the top of the eighth, and Bucknell answered with two in the bottom half of the inning.
The Crusaders threatened a number of times in the first seven innings against Bison starter Meg Muirhead (4-10) (Glendale, Calif./Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy), but pushed their only run across when Megan Lally and Jayme Elliott connected on back-to-back doubles in the fifth. However, Holy Cross did collect eight of its 12 hits in the first seven innings of play.
Bucknell had its opportunities to score too against starter Sheens Stangler. The Bison totaled seven hits in the first seven innings and left a total of 13 runners on base. Their lone run in regulation came when Devore singled home Beans in the third.
Holy Cross exploded for six runs in the eighth inning as it sent 10 hitters to the plate. The big blow was a bases-loaded, base-clearing double to left-center by Stangler. The Crusaders capitalized on four hits, two walks and one Bucknell error. Muirhead was credited with five of the runs in the inning, while Meaghan Haley (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley), who got the final two outs, was credited with one.
After the first two hitters in the bottom of the eighth were easily retired by MacNeil, who was on in relief, Bucknell put together a rally. Erin Curatola (River Edge, N.J./River Dell) and Beans registered back-to-back singles followed by a two-RBI double by Lauren Wible (Dover, Pa./Dover).
Beans was the highlight of the first game with a career-high four hits. All four were infield singles. She also stole two bases in the first game, and three in the doubleheader. Overall, Bucknell stole six bases in the twinbill and were caught just once.
Wible, who was 4-for-9 in the doubleheader, also produced a pair of hits in game one. Litts drew a pair of intentional walks in the first game as well.
With the loss in the first game, Bucknell saw its 10-game winning streak against Holy Cross snapped.
The second game of the doubleheader marked the final home game in the careers of Bison seniors Devore, Wible and Ashley Sarnecky (Wilmington, Del./Charter School of Wilmington).
Still alive for the Patriot League Tournament heading into the final weekend of play, Bucknell will step out of conference for a doubleheader at Delaware on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
