Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bucknell Baseball Celebrates Gene Depew's 1,000th Game with Doubleheader Sweep of Lehigh
3/31/2007 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 31, 2007
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Sophomore Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) went 6-for-9 at the plate, helping the Bucknell baseball team take both games of its doubleheader against Lehigh on Saturday afternoon. The Orange and Blue posted a 7-2 victory in game one and celebrated head coach Gene Depew's 1,000th career game with an 8-7 win in 10 innings in the second contest. With the sweep, the Bison move to 9-10 overall, 2-0 in the Patriot League, while the Mountain Hawks fall to 9-11-1, 0-2 in league play.
Bucknell opened game one in convincing fashion, scoring all seven runs in the first two innings. With one out, freshman Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) and junior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) reached base with back-to-back singles. Senior Ryan Gryskevicz (Dallas, Pa./Dallas) followed and drove in the pair with an RBI double to left field. Gryskevicz then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by junior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) to bring the score to 3-0.
The Bison added two more in the following inning as junior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) walked, freshman Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) singled and Grandizio brought in both runners with a double to left center. Yoder singled up the middle to plate Grandizio and Turban knocked in Yoder with a single for the final run.
Lehigh threatened to make a comeback in the bottom of the fifth after Mark Woleslagle drew a leadoff walk and Joe Ercolano singled to bring Liam O'Connor up with two on and no outs. Bucknell got O'Connor to hit into a crucial double play and escaped the inning after allowing just two runs on back-to-back hits by Nick Bet and Matt Reitz.
Senior Matt Curry pitched five innings and allowed two runs on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts to earn the victory (3-3) for the Bison. Sophomore Will Carney (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) relieved him and threw the remaining two innings without allowing a run or a hit, walking none and striking out one. Starter Joe Matteo took the loss (0-3) for the Mountain Hawks as he gave up all seven runs on nine hits in two innings of work with one walk and four strikeouts.
In game two, Bucknell once again jumped out in front early with three runs in the first to chase Lehigh starter Ken Longernecker without retiring a batter. Lehigh responded, however, with four runs in the bottom of the frame and scored two more in the second to climb in front, 6-3.
The Bison then posted the next four runs to pull ahead, 7-6. Junior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) tripled to begin the third and came home on an error. Grandizio drove in Rubbo with a sacrifice fly for the second run of the frame. Turban tied the score at six with a home run to right field in the top of the sixth and Grandizio plated Rubbo with a double in the seventh to give Bucknell the lead.
Lehigh answered in the bottom of the inning as Ercolano was hit by a pitch and later crossed the plate to even the score at seven.
With two out in the top of the 10th, Gryskevicz drove in the winning run for the Orange and Blue with Yoder coming home on the play after reaching with a double to left center.
The Mountain Hawks had an opportunity to win the game in their last turn at-bat, but Buursma fanned Geoff Campbell to end the contest.
Buursma threw the final 3.2 scoreless innings for the Bison and allowed three hits with two walks and five strikeouts to pick up the win (2-1). Greg Mortka worked the final three innings for Lehigh and suffered the loss (3-2) after giving up one run on two hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Grandizio's six hits led the Bucknell offense on the day as he also chipped in with a team-best four RBI and scored two runs. Yoder tallied four hits and scored four, while Turban and Gryskevicz drove in three runs apiece.
Both teams will be back in action tomorrow, Sunday, Apr. 1, with their second doubleheader of the weekend, beginning at 11 a.m.
