Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy
Bucknell Baseball Rallies for 7-6 Win over Navy in Game One of Patriot League Championship Series
5/16/2008 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 16, 2008
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Senior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning and picked up the win on the mound, helping the Bucknell baseball team rally for a 7-6 victory over Navy in game one of the Patriot League Championship best-of-three series on Friday. The Bison are now 25-22-2 on the year, the highest win total for the Orange and Blue since 2003, while the Mids fall to 32-24-1.
Buursma pitched two scoreless innings of relief, giving up two hits and logging two strikeouts, and has now thrown nine shutout innings in the postseason, recording all three of the squad's Patriot League Tournament wins out of the bullpen. With this most recent triumph, he matched the school single season wins record with his eighth of the year (8-3).
A two-out double by Kendall Bolt gave Navy a 2-0 lead to start the contest as he drove in Thomas Hamilton and Michael Speciale with a shot down the right field line in the bottom of the first.
Then in top of the second, Bucknell cut its deficit in half. Sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) led off with a single to right, moved to second on a single by senior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) and sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) knocked him in with a dribbling single up the middle.
The Bison threatened to tie the score when Buursma ripped his 10th career triple with one out in the top of the third, but Mids' starter Oliver Drake escaped the jam with a strikeout and a ground ball to end the inning.
Navy then added to its lead in the bottom of the third. Mike Guadagnini doubled and scored on an error, Hamilton reached on an infield single and came home on a sacrifice fly by Bolt and Jeff Bland plated Speciale and Jonathan Berkowitz with a double to right.
Once again in the fourth, Bucknell began the inning with runners on base and no outs following back-to-back singles by Hirsch and senior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge), but stranded runners for the fourth-straight inning.
With five runs on five hits in the top of the seventh, Bucknell fought back from a 6-1 deficit to tie the score at six. Junior Bret Sokirka (Wyoming, Pa./Wyoming Area) started things off with a walk and later crossed the plate on a wild pitch after moving to third on a double down the left field line by Allen that chased Drake from the game. Junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) then greeted Mids' reliever Drew Carlson with an RBI single up the middle. Senior Mark Angelo (Quaketown, Pa./Quakertown) followed up by drawing a walk and, after a single by Buursma loaded the bases, sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) brought in Grandizio and Angelo with a two-run single up the middle. Brouse capped off the rally with an RBI single that scored Buursma for the tying run.
Navy responded with a golden opportunity to regain the lead in the bottom of the eighth when Renaldo Hollins lofted a triple to right, giving the Midshipmen a runner on third and just one out. Buursma countered, however, by getting Guadagnini to strike out looking and inducing a weak come-backer to the mound off the bat of Hamilton to end the threat.
In the top of the ninth, Buursma led off with a single and was sacrificed over to second by senior Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber). Then following a walk to Brouse, Hirsch poked a single through the left side to send home Buursma for what would prove to be the winning run.
Speciale began Navy's final turn at bat with a single, but Buursma closed things out with two ground balls and struck Bland out swinging for the final out of the contest.
Bison starter Mathew Wilson (Toronto, Ontario/Northern S.S.) worked seven innings for the Bison, struck out 10 and walked two, despite giving up six runs on 11 hits. Drake allowed only three runs on nine hits with one walk and seven strikeouts for the Mids, but received a no-decision. Chris Murray took the loss (4-3) as he gave up one run on one hit with one walk and three strikeouts over 2.1 innings.
Allen, Buursma and Hirsch contributed three hits each to Bucknell's team total of 15 as all three finished the contest 3-for-5 at the plate. Hamilton and Speciale both went 3-for-4 for Navy and scored two runs apiece.
The squads will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday, May 17, as game two is slated to begin at noon at Max Bishop Stadium. Game three will be played 30 minutes following the conclusion of the contest, if necessary.
