Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army*
Bucknell Softball Sweeps Doubleheader from Army, 5-3 and 3-2
4/22/2007 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 22, 2007
Bucknell vs. Army Game 1 Box Score
Bucknell vs. Army Game 2 Box Score
WEST POINT, N.Y. - A double by Kristin Frick (West Chester, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) drove home Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) with the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth as the Bucknell softball team came from behind to defeat Army, 5-3 in eight innings, in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon at the Army Softball Complex. The Bison completed their first twinbill sweep of the season by holding on for a 3-2 win in game two.
Bucknell (10-28, 4-8 Patriot League) won at least three games in a series against Army (12-33, 6-10 PL) for the first time since Patriot League teams started playing four-game weekend series in 2001. The Bison and Black Knights split Saturday's doubleheader.
Frick, who was pinch hitting in place of Monica Grinage (Rankin, Pa./Shady Side Academy) in the eighth inning, stroked a double to left that scored Okita from second. Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) later drove home Frick from third for an insurance run to make the score 5-3.
Christie Wiest (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) pitched her third consecutive complete game and drew to within one of her career high in wins as she improved to 6-13 by scattering 10 Army hits over eight innings. After allowing two runs in the bottom of the first, she limited the Black Knights to just one the rest of the way, that coming on a sacrifice fly in the fourth. In fact, Army sent more than four hitters to the plate in an inning just twice after the first, with one of those being the eighth when it brought the winning run to the plate with two outs, but Wiest struck out Sarah Yates.
Bucknell pounded out 10 hits against Army starter Veronica Barth (8-15) and capitalized on five Black Knight errors, including three by the left fielder in the third when it plated two unearned runs to take a 3-2 lead.
Okita got the Bison on the board in the second with a leadoff solo home run, the first of her career.
The second game featured another strong outing for a Bucknell starting pitcher as Katie McDonald (York, Pa./West York Area) limited Army to just two runs and six hits in 6.0 innings of work. She also struck out three and walked a pair. Wiest then retired the side in order in the seventh for her first save of the season and the third of her career.
The Bison scored all the runs they would need in the third as Army committed two more errors to bring its ledger for the day to seven. Cassie Lloyd (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) reached on an error by the first baseman and advanced to third when Ashley Carlson (Fairless Hills, Pa./Penns Valley) sacrificed her to second and reached on a throwing error by Chris Stauffer (4-16), the Black Knights' starting pitcher, who lasted just 2-plus innings.
With two runners in scoring position Pavlovich, who was 3-for-9 with three runs batted in in the doubleheader, belted a two-run double to right center. Later in the inning Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University) doubled to score Pavlovich and round out the scoring for Bucknell.
The Bison managed just two hits the rest of the game off relievers Jessi Muckelroy and Barth.
Army chipped away at Bucknell's lead with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Erin McClain homered to left in the fourth, while the Black Knights scored one run and left the bases loaded in the sixth against McDonald, who improved to 3-5 this season.
Erin Curatola (River Edge, N.J./River Dell) saw her hitting streak extend to 10 games with a 2-for-5 performance in game one, but she went hitless in game two. She is now hitting .339 on the season, second on the team to Carlson's .367.
With her six runs batted in during the four-game weekend series with Army, Pavlovich upped her season RBI total to 20. Lauren Litts (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg) paces the squad with 26.
Bucknell, which is on a two-game winning streak for the first time this season, has a busy week ahead with a doubleheader at Penn State on Tuesday and the final home twinbill of the campaign Wednesday at 3 p.m. against Delaware. The Bison will return to Patriot League play next weekend with a four-game slate at Holy Cross, which is currently 1-15 in league competition.
