Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army
Bucknell Baseball Splits Pair with Army to Begin Patriot League Tournament
5/10/2008 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 10, 2008
Game 1 Box Score: Bucknell 5, Army 4 (10 in.)
Game 2 Box Score: Army 12, Bucknell 3
Live Audio: Bucknell vs. Army (May 11, 1 p.m.)
WEST POINT, N.Y. - A solo home run by sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) in the 10th inning helped the Bucknell baseball team open its Patriot League semifinal series with a 5-4 victory over Army. The Black Knights went on to take the second contest by a 12-3 margin, however, to force a deciding game three tomorrow at Doubleday Field. The Bison are now 23-22-2 on the year, while the Black Knights sit at 24-24.
Bucknell began game one in front 1-0 after the top of the first. Allen laced a first-pitch single up the middle to lead off the contest for the Bison and classmate Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) followed with a double to right center to drive in Allen.
Then in the second, junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) opened up with a home run to left for the Orange and Blue and Allen brought the score to 3-0 with a RBI single to right that plated senior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge).
Chris Simmons put Army on the board with a solo shot to left in the bottom of the frame, but the Bison took the run back three innings later as Allen reached with a leadoff single in the fifth and scored on a double play ball.
Then in the bottom of the fifth, the Black Knights managed to pull within one. Tony Capozzi was hit by a pitch and came home on a two-out triple by Cole White. The next batter, Kevin McKague, brought in White for the second run of the frame. Army went on to tie the score at four in the seventh as Andy Ernesto doubled to right and crossed the plate on a double to left by McKague.
Senior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) led off the next half inning with a hard-hit ball to the wall in centerfield, but was robbed of a hit by Ernesto.
In the top of the 10th, Allen connected for his second home run of the season for what would be the winning run of the contest. He finished game one 4-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBI.
Buursma picked up the win (6-3) for the Bison in relief of starter Mathew Wilson (Toronto, Ontario/Northern S.S.), working 3.2 scoreless innings of relief and surrendering just one hit with no walks and two strikeouts. Ben Koenigsfeld suffered the loss (5-4) for the Black Knights. He gave up one run on four hits in 1.1 innings on the mound.
Army began game two with a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by Clint Moore with two out in the top of the third.
Bucknell responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning as Grandizio tripled to bring in senior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) and junior Bret Sokirka (Wyoming, Pa./Wyoming Area) who both reached with singles.
However, the Black Knights went back in front, breaking the game open with a seven-run fourth as the squad tallied seven hits, including a two-run homer by Simmons and a two-RBI double by Moore.
Army followed up by scoring in each of the next three innings, posting one in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
The Bison added their third and final run in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) doubled to left and senior Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber) drove him in with a single to the right field corner.
Freshman Dylan Seeley started for Bucknell and took the loss (3-3). He allowed seven runs, just two earned, on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout over 3.2 innings. Matt Fouch earned the victory (6-2) for the Black Knights, holding the Bison to three runs on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts in 6.2 innings on the mound.
Moore led Army's offense in game two as he finished 3-for-5 with three RBI. Sokirka was the lone player for the Orange and Blue to log multiple hits in the second contest, going 2-for-4 with a runs scored.
The squads will be back in action tomorrow, May 11, at 1 p.m. to determine the winner of the series, who will advance to the Patriot League championship to face either Navy or Holy Cross. An audio broadcast of the game will be available via Bucknell's Sportsjuice.com page.
