Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Susquehanna
Bucknell Baseball Cruises to 10-3 Victory Over Susquehanna
4/11/2007 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 11, 2007
SELINSGROVE, Pa. - Bucknell's hitters tied a 37-year-old school record by walking 14 times in a single game as the Bison baseball squad cruised to a 10-3 victory over Susquehanna at Bollinger Field on Wednesday afternoon. With the win, Orange and Blue moves to 13-14 on the year, while the Crusaders fall to 6-16-1 this season.
After a scoreless first inning, Bucknell plated five in the top of the second. The frame began with walks to junior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) and freshman Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West). Rubbo scored the first Bison run on a wild pitch after advancing to second on a balk and to third on a sacrifice by sophomore Zachary Brown (Stroudsburg, Pa./Notre Dame). Freshman Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) drew the third base on balls of the inning, bringing sophomore Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) to the plate. Grandizio knocked in Brouse with an infield single and, after a fielder's choice that erased Grandizio and landed Yoder on first, junior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) capped off the offensive flurry with a three-run homer to right centerfield.
Susquehanna took one of the runs back in the bottom half of the inning as Tyler Reichard doubled and Kyle Wertman drove him in with a single to left.
However, that would be as close as the Crusaders would come to overtaking the Bison. In the top of the third, an RBI double by Rubbo brought home junior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) to extend Bucknell's advantage back out to five.
Then in the sixth, sophomore Bret Sokirka (Wyoming, Pa./Wyoming Area) walked and came in on a double by freshman John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) to bring the score to 7-1, while sophomore Jared Kuhmerker (Alexandria, Va./TC Williams) tacked on another run with an RBI single that plated Avanzino.
Avanzino drove in freshman B.J. LaRosa (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal) with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Kuhmerker crossed the plate on an RBI single by Matt Walsh (Chesterfield, N.J./Lawrenceville) in the eighth for the final two Bison runs.
The Crusaders managed to score twice in the bottom of the eighth as the squad tallied three hits in the inning, managing just four in the rest of the contest.
Sophomore Chris Yamaguchi (Lincroft, N.J./Middletown South) started on the mound for Bucknell and earned his first collegiate victory (1-0) after working two innings and allowing one run on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. For Susquehanna, Brian Diebold suffered the setback (0-2). He allowed six runs on four hits with nine walks and two strikeouts.
For the Bison offense, Avanzino, Kuhmerker and Walsh all finished the day with two hits apiece. Avanzino drove in a pair of runs and scored one, while Buursma totaled a team-best three RBI in the contest.
Bucknell will return home this Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 14-15, for a Patriot League series against Lafayette. Both doubleheaders are slated for noon at Depew Field.
