Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army
Carlson, Pavlovich Hit Bucknell Softball to Doubleheader Split with Army
4/21/2007 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 21, 2007
Bucknell vs. Army Game 1 Box Score
Bucknell vs. Army Game 2 Box Score
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Ashley Carlson (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) and Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) combined to go 5-for-6 with five runs scored and four runs batted in as Bucknell won the first game of a Patriot League doubleheader against Army Saturday afternoon by a 10-2 score in six innings at the Army Softball Complex. The Bison ended an eight-game losing streak with the victory.
The Black Knights won game two 8-0 in five innings as Bucknell committed four errors, including three in a six-run first inning for Army.
Carlson and Pavlovich paced a Bucknell (8-28, 2-8 Patriot League) offense that erupted for seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings of game one. The Bison led by a slim 3-2 margin after four innings of play, but back-to-back walks by Carlson and Pavlovich leading off the fifth set up a three-run frame. Erin Curatola (River Edge, N.J./River Dell) and Lauren Litts (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg) followed with RBI singles, while Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University) recorded a sacrifice fly.
Bucknell tacked on four more runs in the sixth as five consecutive hitters recorded one-out hits, with a two-run single to right by Pavlovich the big blow. The freshman third baseman ended the game 2-for-3 with two runs and three runs batted in.
Carlson, who reached base all four times she came to bat, teamed up with Pavlovich in the top of the first to give Bucknell an early 1-0 lead as she recorded an infield single leading off the game and came around to score on a double to center by Pavlovich, who is tied for second on the team with 17 runs batted in.
The Bison took a 3-0 lead on Army (12-31, 6-8 PL) in the second with a sacrifice fly from Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) and a one-out RBI infield single from Carlson, who is now hitting a team-best .376 on the season after a 3-for-6 performance in the doubleheader.
Army did plate two runs in the bottom of the second against Bucknell starter Christie Wiest (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Vally) (5-13), who did not allow another runner to reach third base the rest of the game as she moved up to ninth on the Bison career wins list with 16. The right-hander scattered nine hits, but limited the Black Knights to just two runs and one walk as she struck out four to give her 99 this year and 235 in her career, good for third on the Bucknell all-time list.
Bucknell recorded double-figure hits for the seventh time this season as it touched Army's Chris Stauffer (4-15) and Nicole Talarczyk for 12 hits. Stauffer started and yielded 10 hits and nine runs, eight of which were earned. She walked two and struck out one in her 5.0 innings of work.
Army jumped on top early in game two as it scored six runs in the bottom of the first and knocked Bison starter Meaghan Haley (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) (1-5) from the game. She yielded all six runs, although just two of those were earned as there were three errors in the frame. Cleanup hitter Erin McClain hit a three-run home run to account for half of the runs.
McClain later tacked on two more runs in the third with a two-RBI single off Bison reliever Meg Muirhead (Glendale, Calif./Flintridge Academy). She finished the game 2-for-3 with five runs batted in.
With the eight-run cushion after three innings of play, Army held on as the game was called after five innings due to the eight-run rule.
Even though Bucknell had at least one baserunner every inning against Veronica Barth (8-14) and reliever Jessi Muckelroy, it never sent more than four batters to the plate in any inning. The Bison managed just three hits in the contest with Curatola, who extended her hitting streak to nine games, and Finkel each recording singles and Pavlovich smashing a first-inning double to center.
With her RBI in game one, Bucknell senior catcher Lauren Litts, who already holds the program career record, picked up the 100th of her career. She is also the career home run leader with 18.
Bucknell and Army, who are currently battling for fourth place in the Patriot League, will square off in another twinbill Sunday at 1 p.m. as they complete their four-game series.
