Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn State Behrend
Bucknell Baseball Moves to 8-1 at Home with 14-6 Win over Penn State Behrend
4/17/2008 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 17, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - With the help of 3-for-3 performances at the plate by sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) and senior Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber), the Bucknell baseball team rolled to an 14-6 win over Penn State Behrend on Thursday afternoon at Depew Field. With the win, the Bison move to 18-16-2 overall and 8-1 at home on the season, while the Lions suffer just their sixth loss of the year and now sit at 20-6.
Bucknell wasted no time getting on the board, touching up Behrend for three runs in the first. A walk to Allen, a single by sophomore Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) and a walk to sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) loaded the bases for junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg), who walked to force in Allen. Then with two out, Pieper drove in Yoder and Avanzino with a single up the middle.
Then in the third, the Bison added another run as Grandizio reached on an error and scored on an RBI single by senior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown).
The Lions erased their 4-0 deficit with four runs on four hits in the top of the fourth. A walk to Adam Martin followed by three straight hits yielded the first three of the frame for Behrend, while Jason Bartlett tied the score at four with an RBI on a sacrifice bunt.
In the fifth, Bucknell climbed back out in front, 7-4. Allen connected for a two-out RBI single to plate Pieper, while Yoder brought in junior Zachary Brown (Stroudsburg, Pa./Notre Dame) and Allen with his first triple of the season.
Behrend took one of the runs back with an RBI single by Josh Fyffe in the top of the sixth, however the Bison pulled away in the seventh, breaking the game open with seven runs on six hits. Allen started things off by bringing home Pieper and sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) with his third hit of the day. Two batters later, Avanzino ripped a bases-clearing triple to left center that scored Brown, Allen and senior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School). Grandizio knocked in junior Hunter George (Ross, Calif./The Branson School), who pinch ran for Avanzino, with an RBI single and freshman Drew Constable (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) capped of the inning by driving in Grandizio with a single up the middle.
The Lions pushed across the final run of the contest in the top of the eighth as Joe Brieter reached on an error and scored on an RBI groundout by Paul Henry.
Junior Jimmy Murphy (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) worked 2.1 innings and picked up the win (2-0) for Bucknell. He allowed one run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Fran Hous took the loss (0-1) for Behrend, giving up three runs on three hits with one walk in 2.1 innings on the mound.
Allen and Pieper paced the Bison at the plate, both finishing the day a perfect 3-for-3. Allen totaled three runs scored and three RBI, while Pieper scored twice and knocked in two. Three additional members of the Orange and Blue posted two-hit performances on the afternoon as Yoder and Avanzino were both 2-for-4 and Angelo hit 2-for-5.
Bucknell returns to action this Saturday, Apr. 19, with its first of two doubleheaders against Patriot League foe Navy, beginning at noon.
