Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Canisius
Bucknell Baseball Claims Final Game of Series with Canisius, 13-6
3/22/2009 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 22, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Andrew Loucks (Mississauga, Ontario/Appleby College) was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Chris Yamaguchi (Lincroft, N.J./Middletown South) picked up the win in relief to improve to 3-0 this season as the Bucknell baseball team avoided a four-game sweep and defeated Canisius 13-6 Sunday afternoon at Depew Field. The Bison registered 13 hits in the contest, none before the fourth inning.
Four different Bucknell players registered multi-hit games, while five scored at least two runs. The Bison totaled just nine runs and 14 hits in the first three games of the weekend series that started Friday.
An unusual four-run second inning gave Bucknell (7-12) the early lead. The Bison scored four runs without the aid of a hit as Canisius (10-10) issued three walks and committed three errors in the frame.
The Golden Griffins, who tallied 14 hits in the contest, chipped away at the Bucknell lead with one run in the fourth on back-to-back one-out doubles by Brian Burton and Ian Choy. The first five hitters in the fifth inning reached base, with three coming across to score, evening the game at 4-4.
Kevin Mailloux led off the fifth with a double to right and came around to score when Kevin Mahoney singled him home. Mahoney's hit also knocked Bison starter Sean Driscoll (Colts Neck, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) from the game. Yamaguchi came on and yielded a single, hit a batter and then gave up a two-run, bases loaded single to Burton, tying the score. Yamaguchi then settled down and enticed Choy to pop out to third and got out of the inning with a double play grounder to shortstop Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata). The pop out was the first of seven consecutive hitters Yamaguchi, who leads the team with a 2.52 ERA, retired.
Bucknell, which had at least one run in each of its final four at bats, took the lead back in the bottom of the fifth with three runs off reliever Alek Brown (0-1). Drew Constable (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) and Allen had sacrifice flies, while B.J. LaRosa (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal) had an RBI single. LaRosa was 2-for-2 and reached base all five times he was up, drawing two walks and getting hit by a pitch. He now owns a four-game hitting streak.
An RBI single by Loucks in the sixth and a two-out, two-run triple by Ben Yoder in the seventh extended Bucknell's lead to 10-4.
Canisius added two runs in the top of the eighth on back-to-back doubles by pinch hitter Brian Gibbs and Branson Joseph. Joseph later scored on a wild pitch by Yamaguchi, who pitched 4.0 innings of relief and allowed five hits and three runs while striking out one.
The Bison capped the scoring in the bottom of the eighth when they batted around and plated three more runs. The first five hitters in the frame reached base with Constable and Bret Sokirka (Wyoming, Pa./Wyoming Area) each registering RBI singles to right. Additionally, Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) earned an RBI on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded.
Eight of Bucknell's nine starters registered at least one hit, while Yoder, LaRosa and Sokirka had two apiece, joining Loucks with multiple hits. Seven of the nine starters scored at least one run, including Allen, who was the lone Bison to not record a hit. However, the junior was hit by a pitch twice and drew one walk. He also had a sacrifice fly.
The game featured a total of nine walks and seven hit by pitches. The Bucknell pitching staff had just two walks and three hit by pitches.
The Canisius four through eight hitters each had two hits in the game. With two runs batted in, Burton led the team in that category.
With his 3-for-4 showing Saturday, Loucks is now 11-for-17 since the fourth inning of last Wednesday's game at Mount St. Mary's when he had six hits.
Bucknell will continue its nine-game homestand Wednesday, March 25, when it hosts Bloomsburg at Depew Field. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
