Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Yale
Bucknell Softball Drops a Pair on Day Two of Rebel Spring Games
3/9/2009 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 9, 2009
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Bucknell softball registered a couple of tough results, dropping both contests at the Rebel Spring Games on Monday. The Bison (6-8) fell to Yale, 11-3 (6 inn.), before stumbling in a tight battle to Sacred Heart, 3-1, later in the day.
In their first game, Bucknell was unable to keep pace with the bats of Yale (2-2). In the top of the second inning, Yale struck with a bases-loaded walk to score their first run and received two more RBIs from an Ashley Sloan single. Sloan picked up another RBI in the top of fourth which ultimately ended with the Bulldogs leading 5-0.
Going into the bottom of the fifth, Bucknell was a facing a 9-0 deficit and needed to cut into the Bulldog lead by at least two runs to stay in the game to avoid an early end to the day. The Bison responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to keep their hopes alive.
Sophomore Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) and senior Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) each provided RBI singles, and senior Cassie Lloyd (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) batted one run in on a sacrifice fly to center field.
In the top of the sixth inning, Yale grabbed three more runs off the bats of junior Kayla Kuretich, who took the win in the circle, and freshman Lexi Peacock to put the game out of reach for the Bison.
Bucknell's senior Katie McDonald (York, Pa./West York Area) took the loss for the Bison. The pitcher (4-2) worked 4.1 innings, giving up eight hits and nine runs. She also tallied a pair of strikeouts.
Kuretich finished with three runs on seven hits and four strikeouts in five innings.
In the second game versus Sacred Heart (2-7), the Bison jumped out to a 1-0 lead through the first two innings. The Pioneers responded in the third, however, with two runs on an RBI single from Adrian Fitzsimon and a third run on a fielder's choice. After three, Bucknell trailed 2-1.
The Bison threatened in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, getting runners in scoring position each time. Unfortunately for fans of the Orange and Blue, the team was unable to manufacture another run.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Pioneers picked up an insurance run to produce the final score of 3-1.
Freshman Jane Messersmith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor), who is now 1-4 on the season, went the distance in taking the loss, giving up five hits and two earned runs as freshman Liz Tsipouras got the victory for Sacred Heart.
The Bison continue their string of doubleheaders at Rebel Springs Tuesday, March 10 with games against IPFW at 9 a.m. and Buffalo at 11 a.m.
