Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy
Bucknell Baseball Drops Two to Navy, 4-0 and 16-6
4/19/2008 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 19, 2008
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) struck out seven batters in game one and went 2-for-5 at the plate in game two with two RBI, but it wasn't enough as the Bucknell baseball team dropped a pair to Navy on Saturday afternoon on Depew Field, falling 4-0 and 16-6. The Bison are now 18-18-2 on the year, 7-7 in the Patriot League, while the Midshipmen move to 23-18, 8-6 in league play.
After four scoreless innings in game one, Navy managed to plate three in the fifth. Jonathan Berkowitz began the frame with a single through the right side and reached second on an error as a fielder's choice allowed Nick Driscoll to reach base and gave the Mids two runners on with no outs. The next batter, Mike Guadagnini ripped a two-run double into the left-centerfield gap and later scored on fielder's choice with Michael Speciale picking up the RBI on the play.
With two gone in the sixth, Driscoll singled up the middle, stole second and was driven in by Guadagnini for Navy's fourth and final run.
Bucknell's best chance to score in game one came in the second inning as sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) and senior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) reached with back-to-back singles and senior Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber) moved up the pair with a sacrifice bunt. Midshipmen hurler Mitch Harris managed to escape the jam unscathed, however, as he struck out sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) and induced a fly ball off the bat of senior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge).
Buursma was tagged with the loss (5-2) after giving up four runs, just two earned, on eight hits. He pitched all seven innings for the Bison and did not walk a batter, while moving his season strikeouts total to 62, becoming just the fifth player in school history to post 60-plus strikeouts in a season. Buursma now ranks 10th on the program's career list for strikeouts with 141.
Harris logged the win for Navy (2-1) as he tossed the complete game shutout with three strikeouts and no walks and six hits in the contest.
Junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) was the lone member of the Orange and Blue to record multiple hits in game one, going 2-for-3. Guadagnini led the Mids at the plate as he was 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored.
In game two, Bucknell fell down 9-0 from the outset. Two RBI doubles by Harris and Driscoll in the second inning provided the first two runs for Navy, while Renaldo Hollis came through with a two-out RBI single to put the Midshipmen up 3-0. Speciale hit a two-run home run in the third, while Jeff Bland increased the advantage with an RBI single that brought home Harris.
Then in the top of the fourth, the Mids tacked on three more with a two-run single by Harris and a single up the middle by Driscoll that plated Speciale.
The Bison scored their first two runs of the day in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) singled, went to second on an error, to third on a passed ball and scored on an RBI-groundout by Buursma. Angelo plated Grandizio for Bucknell's second run with a single up the middle after Grandizio legged out a two-out infield hit and stole second.
In the fifth, the Orange and Blue pulled within three at 9-6, scoring four runs on three hits. The first three batters of the inning, Rubbo, senior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) and sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) reached with a single, a walk and a fielder's choice, respectively, and drove a single through the right side to score both Rubbo and Hirsch. Buursma followed up with an RBI single that brought home Allen and Yoder came in on a fielder's choice, with Grandizio picking up an RBI.
That would be all, however, as Drew Carlson relieved Navy starter Oliver Drake and shut the door, holding the Bison scoreless in the final-five innings to earn the victory (3-0). He held Bucknell to four hits, struck out two and did not walk a batter.
The Mids extended their advantage out to five with two in the sixth and went on to break the game open in the eighth and the ninth with the help of a solo home run by Bland and a three run shot by Guadagnini.
Freshman Eric Jarrett (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) started for the Orange and Blue and took the loss (4-4) after giving up six runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 2.2 innings.
Allen, Yoder and Buursma all had multiple-hit performances in game two to contribute to Bucknell's 11 total hits. Speciale hit 4-for-4 for Navy with five runs scored and two RBI.
The teams will be back in action tomorrow, Apr. 20, closing out the series with the weekend's second doubleheader, beginning at noon on Depew Field.
