Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Buffalo
Bucknell Softball Defeats IPFW, Falls to Buffalo at Rebel Spring Games
3/10/2009 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 10, 2009
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Bucknell softball rebounded from a two-loss Monday with a 1-1 record on Tuesday. The Bison (7-9) defeated IPFW in the first game at the Oren Brown Complex, 2-0, before dropping their second game of the day to Buffalo, 6-4.
Game one was a pitcher's duel as Bucknell started Liz Fanning (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure HS) in the circle and got four strong innings out of the freshman who allowed three hits and no earned runs. Classmate Jane Messersmith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) pitched the final three innings for Bucknell and picked up the win after allowing just one hit.
IPFW's Rachel Staschuk pitched six innings for the Mastodons (3-4), giving up four hits and one earned run to take the loss.
The Bison took nearly six innings to get on the board. Lauren Trosch (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh) came home on a throwing error to put the Bison up 1-0. They struck again in the seventh, adding another run on Lauren Fry's (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) double that scored Ashley Carlson (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) to bring the score to 2-0 and lock up the game for the Bison.
Fry hit a team-best 2-4 with an RBI in the contest, while Carlson went 1-3 with a run. Meredith Dickson (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) posted the first hit of her career as she singled in the sixth inning.
The Bison fell behind early in the second game of the day, this time taking on Buffalo (6-5). The Bulls ran out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on two-run single by Dana Carter. Buffalo also scored as a result of a passed ball in the inning.
Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) brought the Bison back to life with a big three-run homer to center in the bottom of the second. The shot, which was the junior's first home run in more than a year, knotted the score at three apiece, but the Bulls added two more runs off a two-RBI double from Carter in the fifth inning.
Buffalo picked up an insurance run in the seventh to set the score at 6-3.
The Bison were able to pick up one more run in their last trip to the plate off an RBI bunt from Carlson that brought Trosch home. The deficit proved to be too much, however, as they ultimately fell 6-4.
Carlson has scored four runs in six games in Florida this week, two of which came in today's contests. The total moves the senior co-captain into fourth place on Bucknell's all-time runs scored list with 85.
Sharon Barr earned the win today for the Bulls, pitching a complete game and allowing four runs on five hits. She also tallied seven strikeouts on the day.
Kaytlin Senatore (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) took the loss for Bucknell despite registering six strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work. The freshmen also allowed five runs and five hits.
Leading the Bison at the plate was Carlson, who finished 2-3 with one run and one RBI. Okita hit 1-2 with a run and three RBI thanks to her homerun. Trosch and Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) also registered one hit and one run apiece in game two.
The Orange and Blue will enjoy an off day on Wednesday before returning to the field on Thursday, March 12 to take on Robert Morris at 3 p.m. followed by a rematch with Butler at 5 p.m. Bucknell fell to Butler 7-6 last Sunday.
