Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy
Bucknell Baseball Wraps Up No. 2 Seed in Patriot League Tournament by Splitting Doubleheader with Navy
4/30/2006 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 30, 2006
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team came within a base hit of sweeping Navy and earning the right to host the Patriot League championship, but instead was able to wrap up the No. 2 seed in the league tournament by splitting its doubleheader with the Mids. The Bison took game one, 8-6 and came up just shy of a rally in game two, falling 13-12 after trailing by six heading into the bottom of the ninth. With the split, the Orange and Blue move to 23-22 overall, 13-7 in the Patriot League, while the Midshipmen end league play with a 8-12 record and are 30-21-1 overall.
On Sunday, Lehigh split its doubleheader at Army, giving Bucknell a share of the Patriot League regular season title as both teams finish league play with a 13-7 record. However, the Bison lose the tiebreaker with the Mountain Hawks after dropping the season series three games to one, giving Lehigh the No. 1 seed in the tournament and the right to host.
In game one, Bucknell found itself down 4-0 after Navy's first two turns at-bat. The Bison managed to cut the deficit to 4-1 with a run in the bottom of the second as sophomore Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) reached on an error and scored on a RBI single up the middle by classmate Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge), but the Mids promptly extended their lead to 6-1 with two runs in the top of the fourth.
The Orange and Blue began their rally with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Senior Kyle Walter (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) and junior Ryan Gryskevicz (Dallas, Pa./Dallas) reached base with back-to-back singles and sophomore Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber) brought in both runners with a double to left center, shaving the Navy advantage to 6-3.
Then in the fifth, senior Chris Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) led off with a single, went to third on double by classmate Matt Capece (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) and scored on a sacrifice fly by Walter. Gryskevicz drove in Capece with a single through the left side for the second run of the inning as Bucknell climbed to within a run at 6-5.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Bison completed their comeback with three runs to take an 8-6 lead. Pieper opened the inning with a single, Rubbo was hit by a pitch and sophomore Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) sacrificed the runners into scoring position with a bunt down the third base line. Grandizio then lined a ball into left field that was misplayed by D.J. Faldowski and rolled to the fence, allowing the tying and go-ahead runs to score in Pieper and freshman Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg), who pinch ran for Rubbo. Senior Brad Duvall (Hampstead, Md./Hereford) topped off the inning by driving in Chris Grandizio with a single through the right side.
Freshman Sean Driscoll (Colts Neck, N.J./Christian Brothers) improved to 4-0 as he picked up the win for Bucknell in relief of starter Mathew Wilson (Toronto, Ontario/Northern S.S.). Driscoll pitched three innings and allowed one run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Buursma pitched a scoreless seventh and earned the save (9), allowing one hit with one walk and one strikeout.
Matt White tossed 1.2 innings for Navy in game one and allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits with no walks and no strikeouts to suffer the setback (1-3).
In game two, the Orange and Blue once again fell behind from the outset, trailing 5-0 to the Midshipmen after the first inning. The Bison cut the deficit to 5-4 with four runs on four hits in the third, but Navy answered with two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, stretching its lead to 9-4.
Bucknell refused to quit, posting three in the bottom of the fifth, however, the Mids took the runs right back in the sixth and added another in the eighth to seemingly blow the game open with a six-run lead at 13-7.
Clinging to hopes of hosting the Patriot League Tournament, the Bison came out fighting in the ninth. Gryskevicz drew a leadoff walk and with one out, Dane Grandizio singled to left. Sophomore Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) followed with an RBI single up the middle to bring home Gryskevicz and pinch hitter Dustin Kapson (Sweet Valley, Pa./Lake Lehman) drove in Grandizio for the second run with a single through the left side. Then with two out, RBI singles by Duvall, Capece and Walter brought the Orange and Blue within a run. But with Capece at third and Walter at second, representing the tying and go-ahead runs, Ryan Hefner escaped any further damage by getting Buursma to fly out to right.
Junior Nathan Mittag (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield) started and took the loss (5-4) for Bucknell as he allowed nine runs, eight earned on 13 hits with no walks and one strikeout. Mark Foris worked 3.1 innings of relief and was credited with the win (2-1) for Navy. He let up four runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Hefner pitched two-thirds of an inning and earned his 10th save of the season, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and no strikeouts.
Pieper finished the doubleheader with a team-best five RBI and went 4-for-7 at the plate with two doubles and two runs scored to lead the Orange and Blue. Duvall was 5-for-10 over the two games with a double, a run scored and two RBI, Capece hit 4-for-9 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI and Gryskevicz batted 3-for-6 with an RBI and three runs scored.
Bucknell will travel to Bethlehem, Pa., on Saturday, May 13, where the No. 2 Bison will face No. 3 Lafayette in a one-game playoff for the right to face No. 1 Lehigh in a best-of-three series for the Patriot League championship.
