Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
VCU
Offense Powers Bucknell Baseball to Doubleheader Sweep of VCU
3/1/2008 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 1, 2008
RICHMOND, Va. - The Bucknell offense combined for 22 runs on 28 hits, carrying the squad to a doubleheader sweep of Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday afternoon. With the help of grand slams by senior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) and sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West), the Bison took game one by the score of 12-3. In game two, the Orange and Blue came away with a 10-7 victory to improve to 2-2-2 on the year, while the Rams drop to 1-5.
Bucknell opened game one with four runs in the first. Sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) got things started with a single through the left side. Then with two out, senior Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber) and senior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) tallied back-to-back singles to load the bases for Buursma who belted his second career grand slam.
VCU made it a 4-1 game in the bottom of the first with a solo home run by Kwan Evans and then cut its deficit to 4-3 with back-to-back hits by Joe Van Meter and Richard Gonzalez.
A solo home run by junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) in the top of the third gave the Bison some breathing room and the Orange and Blue further widened the gap with two in the fifth and five in the sixth. Allen and Brouse both reached with singles in the fifth and scored on miscues by the Rams' defense, Allen on an error and Brouse on a wild pitch.
Allen capped off a 3-for-5 performance in game one by ripping an RBI double to left center that scored senior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) in Bucknell's half of the sixth inning. Then with the bases filled with Bison and one out, Brouse jacked his first collegiate home run, the second grand slam of the day and third home run of the contest for the Orange and Blue.
Senior Mathew Wilson (Toronto, Ontario/Northern S.S.) started on the mound and went the distance for Bucknell to earn the win (1-0). He held VCU to three runs on nine hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts, tying a career best he set a week ago at Eastern Kentucky.
For the Rams, Michael Graham started and took the loss (0-1), lasting just two innings and giving up five runs on seven hits with no walks and no strikeouts.
In the second contest of the afternoon, the Bison struck first once again. In the opening frame, Brouse walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Angelo.
VCU answered with a run on a bases loaded walk on the bottom of the first, but Bucknell's offense was relentless adding another run in the second and two in the third. Grandizio led off the second with a single and was driven in by Rubbo. In the third, senior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) reached on an error and scored on a single by Angelo. Sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) then ripped a double to right that plated Angelo.
The Rams tied the score at four with three in the third and Bucknell went back on top by tacking on one in the fourth and one in the fifth. Rubbo began the fourth with a double and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Allen. Another groundout yielded a run the following inning as junior Bret Sokirka (Wyoming, Pa./Wyoming Area) brought in Grandizio who led off the inning with a single.
VCU pulled even once more with two in the bottom half of the fifth, tying the score at six. However, the Bison promptly responded as junior Zachary Brown (Stroudsburg, Pa./Notre Dame) registered a three-run double in the top of the sixth that plated freshman Drew Constable (West Chester, Pa./Henderson), Angelo and Grandizio.
The teams traded runs in the eighth to complete the scoring. Constable led off Bucknell's half of the frame with a single and came home on an error. For the Rams, Sean Holmes walked and crossed the plate on an RBI single by Ryan Santos.
Freshman Trey Frahler (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) earned his first collegiate win (1-0) as he worked six innings of relief and allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts for the Bison. Aaron Morgan was tagged with the loss (0-1) for VCU. He gave up four unearned runs on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
In a balanced effort by the Bison offense, 12 players finished the doubleheader with at least one hit, while 10 had two hits or more. Angelo went a team-best 4-for-7 at the plate, scored three runs and had two RBI. Grandizio led the squad with five runs scored, while Brouse and Buursma paced the Orange and Blue with four RBI apiece.
Bucknell will conclude its weekend road trip tomorrow, Sunday, Mar. 2, with a single game at Richmond, beginning at 1 p.m.
