Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Columbia
Bucknell Baseball Wins Fifth Straight, Tops Columbia, 6-2
5/24/2008 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 24, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) went 4-for-4 with a walk and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle as the Bucknell baseball team topped Columbia, 6-2, on Saturday afternoon on Depew Field. The win, which was the fifth straight for the Bison, moves the squad to 28-22-2 on the year, while the Lions drop to 22-27.
Playing as the designated visiting team in the contest, Bucknell broke up a scoreless deadlock with two runs in the top of the third. Back-to-back doubles by Angelo and sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) gave the Orange and Blue a 1-0 lead and junior Zachary Brown (Stroudsburg, Pa./Notre Dame) plated Brouse with a single up the middle for the team's second run.
In the bottom of the fourth, Columbia cut its deficit in half. Henry Perkins sent a single into right center, stole second, went to third on an error and came home on a two-out RBI single by Mike Roberts.
The teams then traded runs in the fifth. Junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) led off Bucknell's half of the inning with a single through the left side and scored on a hit to left by Angelo. The Lions then pulled back to within a run at 3-2 in the bottom of the frame. Dean Forthun started things off with a single and later came in on a wild pitch. With the tying run on third and just one out, freshman left-hander Eric Jarrett (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) worked out of the jam for the Orange and Blue by picking off Nick Cox at first and striking out Jason Banos to end the threat.
The Bison went on to score three unanswered runs the rest of the way, adding two in the seventh and one in the ninth. In the seventh, Grandizio reached base with a single after a pop fly was lost in the sun and Angelo drove him in with a triple. Brouse followed up by ripping a single down the left field line to bring in Angelo.
In the top of the ninth, sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) led off with a walk and crossed the plate on a two-out single to right by sophomore B.J. LaRosa (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal). The run was Allen's 43rd of the year, moving him into a tie for ninth on Bucknell's single season list and marking most runs scored by a member of the Orange and Blue since Ian Joseph finished with 45 in 2001.
Jarrett threw seven innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts to earn the win (5-5). He is now fourth in the Bison record book for innings pitched in a season (82.0) and is tied for seventh with 57 strikeouts on the year.
Junior Jimmy Murphy (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) worked the remaining two innings without allowing a run or a hit, logging one strikeout and walking none to register his first career save.
For Columbia, John Baumann started and took the loss (3-2). He surrendered five runs, four earned, on 11 hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Angelo led Bucknell's offense, finishing the afternoon with two singles, a double, a triple, two runs scored and two RBI. He is now tied for fourth all-time for hits in a season with 63, while Grandizio, who went 2-for-3 in the contest with two runs scored, moved his season total to 60, equaling the tenth-highest total on the list. Angelo and Grandizio are the first members of the Orange and Blue to reach the 60-hit mark since Eric Fishman finished with 60 in 2002.
Brouse had a multiple-hit outing for the Bison, as well. He was 2-for-5 at the plate with his team-leading 11th double of the year, two RBI and a run scored.
Bucknell and Columbia will wrap up their three-game series tomorrow, Sunday, May 25, with the final contest between the squads slated to begin at noon.
