Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn State
Bucknell Softball Posts Impressive Comeback to Earn Doubleheader Split with Penn State
4/24/2007 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 24, 2007
Bucknell vs. Penn State Game 1 Box Score
Bucknell vs. Penn State Game 2 Box Score
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) was 3-for-4 with a career-high four runs batted in and Meaghan Haley (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) allowed just one run in six solid innings of relief as the Bucknell softball team pulled off an amazing comeback, defeating Penn State 8-7 in the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday night after trailing 7-0. The Bison, who had lost 13 of 14 to the Nittany Lions entering Tuesday's action, dropped the first game 10-0 in five innings.
After being outscored 17-0 in the first eight innings of the twinbill, Bucknell (11-29) tallied all eight of its runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings of game two. Pavlovich, who had three doubles in the game to bring her to within one of the Bison single-season record of 15, had what proved to be the winning hit when she pulled a bases-clearing double to left with the bases loaded in the sixth.
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Wednesday's Bucknell-Delaware doubleheader will be broadcast live on 90.5 WVBU in Lewisburg and through SportsJuice.com. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University), a freshman like Pavlovich, was also 3-for-4 as that duo accounted for six of Bucknell's eight hits in game two. Two of Finkel's hits drove in runs as she finished with a pair of runs batted in and one run scored.
Penn State jumped on top 6-0 in the first inning as it capitalized on a pair of Bison errors to plate five unearned runs of Bucknell starter Katie McDonald (York, Pa./West York Area). Haley (2-5) relieved her in the second and held Penn State to just a single unearned run in the third frame. The Nittany Lions did manage four hits and three walks off Haley.
Trailing 7-0 entering the fourth inning, Pavlovich got things started for the Bison with a leadoff double. Erin Curatola (River Edge, N.J./River Dell) followed with singles and all three eventually came around to score.
Bucknell tacked two more runs on in the fifth thanks largely to an RBI double by Pavlovich and an RBI single by Finkel.
Jenn Reynolds, who started game one and got the win by allowing just one hit in four innings, yielded Pavlovich's game-winning double in relief of starter Kimi Wong and picked up the loss to fall to 11-8 on the season.
The terrific comeback in game two overshadowed the 10-0 loss in game one as the Bison managed just two hits and Penn State scored at least one run in every inning. Shana Madura was 2-for-2 with a pair of three-run home runs and seven runs batted in to pace the Nittany Lions.
Curatola recorded the first hit for Bucknell, a bunt single in the fourth. Heather Haskin (Noblesville, Ind./Thomas Scecina), who was pinch hitting and seeing her first action since March 16 due to injury, singled in the fifth to round out the Bison offense in the opener.
Christie Wiest (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) (6-14) and Meg Muirhead (Glendale, Calif./Flintridge Academy) each pitched two innings in the loss. Wiest yielded six hits and four runs, while Muirhead was touched for four hits and six runs in relief.
With the doubleheader split, Bucknell improved to 6-20 all-time against Penn State.
The Bison continue their busy week of non-league play Wednesday when they host Delaware in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. The games, which mark the final home appearance of the season for Bucknell, will be broadcast live on 90.5 WVBU in Lewisburg and through SportsJuice.com on the Internet.
