Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn State
Bucknell Baseball Comes Up Short Against Penn State, 6-5
4/3/2007 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 3, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball squad managed to climb back from a 6-1 deficit, but was unable to push across the tying run in the ninth as the Orange and Blue came up just short against Penn State, falling 6-5, on Tuesday evening on Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Following the setback, the Bison are 10-12 on the season, while the Nittany Lions move to 6-15 overall.
Penn State jumped on the board with two runs in the second. Joe Blackburn singled to lead off the inning, moved to second on a wild pitch and came home on an error. Robert Yodice, who reached on the error, scored on a sacrifice fly by Brian Ernst, giving the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the third, Bucknell cut its deficit in half. Senior Dustin Kapson (Sweet Valley, Pa./Lake Lehman) reached on a fielder's choice and later crossed the plate on an RBI single up the middle by freshman Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley).
However, Penn State took the run back in the bottom half of the frame as Scott Gaffney reached with a bunt single, went to second on an error and Corey Wine drove him in with a single to right field. The Nittany Lions then went on to add three more. Yodice knocked in Wine with a double to right center and Mike Deese followed with a two-run homer to left, bringing the score to 6-1.
The Bison climbed to within 6-3, by posting two in the top of the fourth. Senior Ryan Gryskevicz (Dallas, Pa./Dallas) started off the inning with a single and junior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) plated him with an RBI groundout. Junior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) also had an RBI groundout in the frame, which scored junior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown).
Then in the fifth, the Orange and Blue managed to push across a fourth run. Sophomore Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) laid down a bunt single, was sacrificed over to second by Yoder and came home on a double to left centerfield by Gryskevicz.
Bucknell narrowly missed completing its comeback in the ninth inning. Freshman Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) walked and went to second on a passed ball to start things off for the Orange and Blue. Grandizio came to the plate and singled, moving Allen to third and giving the Bison the tying runs on base with no outs. Yoder brought Bucknell within one by lofting a sacrifice fly that scored Allen. However, Penn State closer Drew O'Neill induced a double play to end the contest and record the save.
Freshman Andrew Clarke (Montgomery, Texas/Montgomery) started on the mound for the Orange and Blue and took the loss (1-2) after surrendering six runs, five earned, on seven hits with no walks and no strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Sophomore Jimmy Murphy (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset), junior Bryan Snyder (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and junior David Solan (Newark, Del./Newark) held the Nittany Lions scoreless for the remainder of the contest, scattering four hits and one walk over 5.2 innings of work. Scott Gaffney earned the victory (2-2) for Penn State as he pitched three innings and gave up one unearned run on two hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Grandizio went 3-for-5 to pace the Bison hitters and score a run as well. Yoder was 1-for-3 with two RBI and Gryskevicz hit 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Wine, Blackburn and Deese all batted 2-for-4 for Penn State.
Bucknell will be back in action this Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 7-8, on Depew Field with a four-game Patriot League series against Army. Both doubleheaders are slated to begin at noon.
