Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Miami (Oh)
Bucknell Baseball Edged by Miami-Ohio, 5-4
3/17/2007 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 17, 2007
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Seven different players tallied hits for the Orange and Blue, but the Bucknell baseball team was edged by Miami-Ohio, 5-4, at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium on Saturday morning. The loss drops the Bison to 5-8, while the RedHawks improve to 6-8.
Bucknell wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as freshman Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) singled with one out in the first and junior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) followed with a walk. The pair advanced to second and third on a balk and then two batters later, junior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) drove in both runners with a two-out single up the middle.
Miami-Ohio cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the second after three straight singles. Chris Nadeau led off the inning with a single to center and Jeff Carroll plated him with a single to left. The Redhawks then knotted the score at two in the bottom of the fourth when Nadeau doubled and scored on a single to right by Carroll.
The Bison climbed back on top by two in their next turn at bat. Senior Dustin Kapson (Sweet Valley, Pa./Lake Lehman) started things off with a double down the left field line, freshman Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) was hit by a pitch and the runners moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Yoder followed with an RBI groundout to bring in Kapson and Grandizio scored on a double steal following a walk to senior Ryan Gryskevicz (Dallas, Pa./Dallas).
However, the RedHawks battled back with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Gary King walked and, after a dropped foul ball which would have ended the inning, Brandon Hillier belted a two-run home run on the next pitch to tie the score at four.
Miami-Ohio struck again in the sixth with what would prove to be the deciding run in the contest. Nadeau led off with a single to left and later scored on an error with two away in the inning.
Sean Driscoll (Colts Neck, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) pitched seven innings and took the loss for Bucknell (0-1) after allowing five runs, two earned, on eight hits with one walk and no strikeouts. Senior Jesse Retzlaff (Milford, Del./Milford) relieved him and retired all three batters he faced in the eighth. John Ely worked seven innings on the mound for the RedHawks to pick up the victory (2-1). He surrendered four runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Reece Asbury recorded the save, pitching two scoreless innings, giving up two hits with no walks and one strikeout.
Turban finished with two RBI for the Bison, while Yoder drove in one run and scored one and Grandizio, Buursma and Kapson all scored runs as well. Hillier and Carroll tallied two RBI apiece for Miami-Ohio and Nadeau totaled three runs scored.
Bucknell will close out its spring break trip this evening with a 7 p.m. contest versus Ohio State at Manatee Community College.
