Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Scranton
Bucknell Baseball Blanks Scranton, 8-0, in Home Opener
3/28/2007 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 28, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team opened its home schedule on Wednesday afternoon by blanking Scranton, 8-0, as seven batters combined for 11 hits for the Orange and Blue and eight pitchers helped the squad to its third shutout of the season. With the victory, the Bison moved to 7-10 on the year, while the Royals dropped to 4-9.
Bucknell started off with a three-run first inning. With one out, freshman Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) drew a walk, junior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) followed with a single through the right side and senior Ryan Gryskevicz (Dallas, Pa./Dallas) drove in Yoder to give the Bison a 1-0 lead. Then with two away, junior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) singled to center, bringing in Buursma, while Gryskevicz came in on a throwing error on the same play.
In the second, junior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Yoder.
The Orange and Blue struck for a three-run spot again in the fifth. Yoder began the frame with a single to left and the next batter, Buursma, was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, allowing Gryskevicz the opportunity to plate Yoder with a sacrifice fly. Junior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) advanced Buursma to third with a groundout and Angelo followed with an RBI single that brought him home. Angelo later scored the seventh run of the contest for the Bison on a wild pitch after advancing to third on a double by sophomore Jared Kuhmerker (Alexandria, Va./TC Williams).
Buursma plated the eighth and final run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth, driving in sophomore Hunter George (Ross, Calif./The Branson School) with a double to right centerfield.
Bucknell's starter, sophomore Andy Campbell (Mill Valley, Calif./Marin Catholic) worked two scoreless innings and picked up the win (1-0) after allowing three hits with no walks and one strikeout. As a staff, the Bison fanned 10 batters, with Buursma striking out the side in the seventh. Scott Garbe started for Scranton and took the loss (0-1). He threw five innings and surrendered seven runs, six earned, on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
Angelo and George paced the hitters for the Orange and Blue, each posting perfect days at the plate. Angelo was 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, while George went 2-for-2 with two doubles and a run scored. Gryskevicz drove in a two runs and scored one and Yoder and Buursma each finished with two runs scored and an RBI apiece. Andrew Outhouse and Chris Bligh combined for four of the Royals' seven hits, both going 2-for-4 on the afternoon.
Bucknell will return to action this Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 31 and Apr. 1, when the squad travels to Bethlehem, Pa., where they will open Patriot League play with a four-game series at Lehigh. Each doubleheader is slated to begin at noon.
