Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Colgate
Bucknell Softball Splits Doubleheader with Colgate, Wins Weekend Series 3-1
4/6/2008 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 6, 2008
Game 1 Box Score: Colgate 8, Bucknell 6 (8 in.)
Game 2 Box Score: Bucknell 11, Colgate 6
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell softball team touched the Colgate pitching staff for 14 hits in each game of a doubleheader on Sunday, but the offensive explosion was good for just a split as the Bison claimed game two 11-6 after falling in game one 8-6 in eight innings. Bucknell took three of four from Colgate over the weekend to bring its record to 13-21 overall and 5-3 in the Patriot League. The Raiders are now 4-11 overall and 1-3 in league play.
The Bison came one shy of their season-high hit total with 14 in each end of the doubleheader. In game one, Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) led five Bucknell players who posted multiple hits with a 4-for-5 performance that featured a pair of runs batted in and one runs scored. Ashley Carlson (Fairless, Hills, Pa./Pennsbury), Cassie Lloyd (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg), Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central) and Kristin Frick (West Chester, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) each recorded two hits in the contest.
Each of the Bison starters posted at least one hit in game two with Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) and Lloyd each recording three. Pavlovich, who was 4-for-7 with three runs batted in and four runs scored in the doubleheader, was a solid 3-for-3 in game two. Lloyd was 5-for-9 in the twinbill, including 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored in game two.
Bucknell pitchers Christie Wiest (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) and Katie McDonald (York, Pa./West York Area) pitched well enough to keep the Bison in each end of the doubleheader as each recorded a complete game.
Wiest (8-10) posted a season-high eight strikeouts, but was touched by Colgate for 13 hits in game one. Just three of the runs scored against her were earned. She held the Raiders to just three hits over the first four innings, but then they plated six runs in the fifth inning with a two-run single by Ashley Rowe and a two-run home run to left by Maddy Shufelt the big blows in the frame.
Those six runs were the only runs Wiest yielded in regulation, but Tiana Tyeskey powered a one-out home run over the left-field wall in the eighth. That run proved to be the winning run, although the Raiders tacked on an insurance run later in the inning for the final 8-6 margin of victory.
McDonald (5-9) picked up her career-high fifth win of the season in game two. She allowed seven hits and six runs, five of which were earned. However, Colgate never managed more than two runs in an inning and McDonald retired nine straight hitters at one point in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Bison led 11-4 entering the top of the seventh before Colgate touched McDonald for two runs and three hits in the inning. A beautifully turned 6-4-3 double play ended the Raiders rally and the game.
Fry was the offensive catalyst in game one for Bucknell as she had hits in her final four at bats. She put the Bison up 3-0 with a two-run double in the third, scoring Carlson and Pavlovich.
After Colgate scored its six runs in the top of the fifth, the Bison had to battle back to force extra innings. They did that with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back RBI singles by Lloyd and Colmenero, who extended her hitting streak to 10 games with hits in both ends of the doubleheader. Bucknell evened the score at 6-all in the sixth inning when Carlson drew a two-out walk, stole second and then Pavlovich drove her home with a single to right field. That hit knocked Colgate starter Jesse McCarrick from the game in favor of Lacy Ver Steeg (2-5).
The Bison recorded three hits, drew one walk and Erin Curatola (River Edge, N.J./River Dell) was hit by a pitch over the final 2.1 innings, but they could not push across a run.
In game two, Bucknell scored at least one run in ever inning and had at least six hitters come to the plate in each of the first five frames. The big innings were the first and fifth when it capitalized on errors by second baseman Melissa Babb-Renta. All six of the runs in those two innings were unearned. Lloyd had an RBI triple down the right field line for the biggest hit in the first inning, while Curatola's two-out, two-run double down the left-field line capped the scoring in the fifth.
Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University), who was making her first start in the four-game series, went 1-for-2 with two runs batted in in the third inning. She also drew a walk and laid down her first sacrifice bunt of the season.
Curatola led the Bison with three runs batted in in game two. Pavlovich, Lloyd and Finkel also posted multiple RBIs in game two. Curatola now leads the team with a career-high 25 RBIs, which is just 10 shy of the single-season program record. Curatola also has the second-longest hitting streak on the squad at seven thanks to her 3-for-8 day.
Fry, who posted the first four-hit game by a Bucknell player this year and tied Lloyd for the team lead with five hits in the doubleheader, saw her batting average go from .315 to a stellar .341 Sunday. She leads the team with Pavlovich (.308) and Sam Rollandi (.302) also over the .300 plateau.
Bucknell's victory Sunday helped it win three games in a four-game series against Colgate for the first time since 1999. The Bison had been 5-26 against the Raiders since 2000 entering this weekend.
Bucknell is also now just two wins shy of equaling its victory total from all of last year. It is only two Patriot League wins short of equaling its conference victory figure from last year as well. With its 5-3 league record, Bucknell is just one game behind first-place Lehigh in the conference standings. The Bison and Mountain Hawks meet in Bethlehem, Pa., for a four-game series next weekend, April 12-13.
Before facing perennial league power Lehigh, Bucknell will play a single game Thursday, April 10, at home against regional foe Susquehanna at 4:30 p.m.
