Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
St. John's
Bucknell Softball Splits Two at Longwood Tournament as Sullivan Homers
2/21/2009 7:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 21, 2009
FARMVILLE, Va. - Kara Sullivan (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) hit a grand slam in the second game of the Longwood Tournament in Farmville, Va., to lead the Bucknell softball team over Quinnipiac 13-1 in five innings on Saturday. The Bison (4-4) fell to St. John's 5-0 earlier in the day despite a late-inning effort from Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield).
The Orange and Blue struck first against the Quinnipiac Bobcats, getting their first run of the day in the second inning. The team added four more in the third inning, but did not really break out until the fourth. The Bison added eight runs to give them the 13-0 advantage on the strength of the long ball. Sullivan's grand slam came during that stretch, putting a comeback out of reach for the Bobcats.
The homerun was the first of Sullivan's career. It also marked the second grand slam by a Bison in three games.
Beans helped to lead the team, hitting 2-2 with a triple and two RBI. Alison Ford (Suison, Calif./Fairfield) also earned a triple and two RBI in her only at-bat of the day. Fry finished 2-2 with a pair of singles and an RBI in her second game of the season.
Katie McDonald (York, Pa./West York Area) won her third consecutive game giving up just three hits, one run and striking out four. The senior is now 3-1 on the season.
Bucknell started the day strong against St. John's, giving up just one run in the first four innings. The Red Storm's Roxy Struble connected for a home run in the first, but Bucknell's Jane Messersmith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) held them to just two more hits until the fifth inning.
The Red Storm's Erin Harris reached base on a fielder's choice early in the fifth before scoring on a bases-loaded walk to put the team up 2-0. Struble struck again with a single up the middle to bring two more St. John's players home.
St. John's scored for a final time in the bottom of the sixth, but the Bison refused to call it a day. In the team's last chance, Fry recorded her only hit of the game, a two-out double to left field. Bucknell struggled to capitalize on the late offensive production, however, dropping the first game of the day.
Messersmith (0-3) took the loss in the contest, while the Red Storm's Linzee Sumrall (2-1) earned the victory.
Bucknell is back in action on Sunday, Feb. 22 when it concludes the early-season tournament against the host school Longwood at 12 p.m. Game two of the day will be played at either 2 or 4 p.m., depending on seeding.
