Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Northern Iowa
Bucknell Baseball Picks Up 5-2 Victory Against Northern Iowa
3/14/2007 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 14, 2007
BRADENTON, Fla. - Junior Mathew Wilson (Toronto, Ontario/Northern S.S.) held Northern Iowa scoreless through five innings, helping the Bucknell baseball team to a 5-2 victory over the Panthers at IMG Field on Wednesday afternoon. The win moves the Bison to 5-6, while UNI drops to 7-8 on the year.
The Orange and Blue took a 1-0 lead in the fourth as junior Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber) drew a walk to begin the inning, moved to third on a single to right by sophomore Jared Kuhmerker (Alexandria, Va./TC Williams) and junior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) brought him home with a sacrifice fly.
The Panthers notched their first hit of the contest in the bottom of the fifth when Eric Hoffmann singled through the right side. With one out, Travis Hendrix reached on an error, but Wilson kept Northern Iowa off the scoreboard by getting Jeremy Weih to pop up and Curt Bradley to fly out to left to end the inning.
Then in the top of the sixth, the Bison scored twice to stretch their advantage to 3-0. Junior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) walked, stole second, and Hirsch plated him with an RBI double. Hirsch moved to third on a passed ball and, with two out, sophomore Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg brought him in with a double to left.
UNI spoiled the shutout bid for the Orange and Blue, managing to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. Brandon Douglas reached on an error and scored on an RBI double by Hoffmann.
Bucknell added a run in the eighth as Turban led off with a single through the right side and later scored on an infield single by junior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge).
The Panthers took the run back in the bottom of the inning. After two one out walks to Deric Manrique and Douglas, junior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) struck out Brett Featherson, but the next batter, Dane Embury, managed to knock a double down the left field line and bring home Manrique. Following a walk to Hoffmann, Buursma escaped further damage by inducing a ground ball for the third out.
In the top of the ninth, the Bison added an insurance run. Buursma led off with a single, moved to third on a double by senior Ryan Gryskevicz (Dallas, Pa./Dallas) and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown).
Northern Iowa threatened in their final turn at bat. Back-to-back two-out singles brought the tying run to the plate, but Buurma got Douglas to ground out, earning the save (1-0) after 1.2 innings of work with no runs on three hits, one walk and one strikeout.
Wilson recorded the win (2-1) for the Orange and Blue after working 7.1 innings and scattering two runs, one earned, on two hits with five walks and three strikeouts. Angelo Cordova started for the Panthers and suffered the setback (0-1). He worked 5.0 innings and gave up one run on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Buursma led the Bison offense with a 3-for-5 showing at the plate, while also scoring a run. Hirsch was 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI and Grandizio, Angelo and Rubbo tallied one RBI apiece. Embury went 2-for-4 and drove in both runs for Northern Iowa.
Bucknell returns to action tomorrow, Mar. 15, with a 10 a.m. contest against Eastern Kentucky.
