Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
UC Santa Barbara
Bucknell Softball Relinquishes Lead in Seventh, Drops 5-4 Decision to UC Santa Barbara
3/14/2008 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 14, 2008
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara recorded four hits and scored three runs, including the winning one on a one-out RBI single by Nicole Churnock, in the bottom of the seventh to come from behind and defeat the Bucknell softball team 5-4 Friday at the Loyola Marymount Tournament. It was the second loss of the day for the Bison, who earlier lost to Illinois-Chicago 3-2 after mounting a seventh-inning comeback of their own that fell short.
Both team scored two runs in the first inning and neither team scored again until the final frame when Bucknell plated two runs in the top of the seventh. Both runs scored on a throwing error by pitcher Tami Weston on a ball hit by Erin Curatola (River Edge, N.J./River Dell), who posted her second two-hit game of the day. Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) and Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) scored on the play. Fry had walked against previous pitcher MeLinda Matsumoto (4-7), while Okita's single knocked Matsumoto from the game.
With Bucknell (3-11) leading 4-2 entering the bottom of the seventh Heather Haskin (Noblesville, Ind./Thomas Scecina) tried to preserve the win for the Bison, but the Gauchos scored three times on four hits. Jessica Beristianos got things started with a leadoff triple and later scored on a wild pitch. Three straight singles, with just a grounder to third separating them, won the game for UC Santa Barbara (14-11) with ninth-place hitter Churnock knocking in the game-winner.
Haskin (0-2) relieved starter Katie McDonald (York, Pa./West York Area) to start the second inning and pitched effectively over her 5.1 innings of work. She was touched for 11 hits, but did not allow a run until the seventh inning despite UC Santa Barbara constantly threatening. The Gauchos had at least two baserunners in every inning except the fourth and had the leadoff hitter reach in the second, third and fifth innings.
McDonald was touched for two runs in her inning of work. She yielded two hits, one walk and hit one batter as UC Santa Barbara evened the score at 2-2 in the first.
The Bison went on top 2-0 in the top of the first thanks to the first four hitters reaching against starter Lindsey Correa. Fry opened with a leadoff single. Okita then walked to put two on and none out. Alison Ford (Suison, Calif./Fairfield) followed with a single to load the bases. Curatola then singled to right, the first of her two hits in the game, to score Fry. Later, Ford scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium).
In between the first and seventh innings, Bucknell managed just four baserunners against the Gauchos. A double by Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) in the fourth followed by a walk from Sam Rollandi (San Carlos, Calif./Notre Dame Belmont) marked the only time the Bison had two baserunners in one inning, outside of the first and seventh frames.
Bucknell finished with seven hits, giving it 15 in the two games Friday. Curatola's four hits total Friday brought her season total to a team-high 10.
The Bison will wrap up play at the Loyola Marymount Tournament with a pair of games on Saturday. They will face Illinois-Chicago (2 p.m. Eastern) and Loyola Marymount (6:30 p.m. Eastern). Both squads have already defeated Bucknell during the tournament.
