Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bucknell Softball Drops 9-5 Decision to Lehigh in Patriot League Tournament
5/10/2008 8:00:00 AM | Softball
May 10, 2008
Live Audio Broadcast of Bucknell vs. Lafayette or Army (Approx. 3:30 p.m.)
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Eight of Bucknell's nine starters recorded at least one hit as the Bison touched Patriot League Pitcher of the Year Lisa Sweeney for five runs and 11 hits, but fell to the top-seeded Mountain Hawks by a 9-5 score in the Patriot League Tournament at Kaufman Field Saturday morning.
Bucknell, which saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end, will now play the winner of Saturday afternoon's Lafayette-Army game at approximately 3:30 p.m. Saturday for a berth in Sunday's championship series of the double-elimination tournament.
The Bison were plagued by four errors in the loss, three of which came on dropped throws to first base. However, just two of the Mountain Hawks' nine runs were unearned. Lehigh committed three errors of its own.
Leading 2-1 entering the top of the fifth, the third-seeded and designated home team Bucknell yielded six runs to Lehigh on six hits, including two by Megan Conrad. The big blows in the frame were back-to-back two-RBI singles by Alisha Gonzales and Whitney Lowe.
The Bison responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth to climb back to within 7-5. The first run scored when Ashley Carlson stole home with runners on first and third and none out. A double to right by Elyse Colmenero plated Ashley Beans. Colmenero advanced to third on the wide throw to the plate and later scored on a single by Erin Curatola. It was the team-high 33rd RBI of the season for Curatola, who was 3-for-4 in the game and extended her hitting streak to six straight games.
With two more innings to play and trailing 7-5, Bucknell had a chance to upset Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament again, having done it in the first round of the 2005 postseason. However, a two-RBI double by Gonzales knocked Bucknell starter Christie Wiest (13-13) from the game in the sixth and rounded out the scoring.
Wiest, who allowed just one hit and one run through the first four innings, pitched 5.1 innings and yielded nine hits, nine runs, five walks and struck out two. She saw her consecutive scoreless innings streak end at 27.2.
Katie McDonald relieved Wiest and retired all five hitters she faced.
Sweeney, who was the Patriot League Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year, improved to 24-3 with the win. However, the Bison recorded 11 hits and scored five runs against her. She did record 13 strikeouts.
Bucknell's (23-28) first run came in the third inning when Lauren Fry, the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, doubled to left field to score Carlson.
Curatola led off the fourth with her second double of the game, and her team-high 11th, of the season, and later scored on a two-out single by Kristin Frick.
Carlson joined Curatola with two hits in the game, while she scored a pair of runs as well. Colmenero extended her hitting streak to 10 games, equaling her longest of the season, with her double in the fifth.
Conrad, Gonzales and Lowe each had two hits for Lehigh (37-14-1), which will await its opponent for Sunday's championship game, which will be played at 10 a.m. Gonzales (4) and Lowe (3) combined for seven of Lehigh's nine runs batted in.
Bucknell still has a chance to advance to Sunday's championship with a win over either Army or Lafayette on Saturday afternoon. If the Bison do advance to Sunday they will have to beat Lehigh twice to win the Patriot League title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
