Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Colgate
Bucknell Softball Falls in 14-13 Heartbreaker at Colgate
4/11/2009 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 11, 2009
HAMILTON, N.Y. – Bucknell softball chased famine with feast, getting shut out 7-0 in game one of a doubleheader with Colgate at the Eaton Street Field on Saturday. The Bison (13-23, 4-6) then scored 13 runs in a 14-13 defeat in game two despite getting two home runs from Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium), a two-run homer from Alison Ford (Suison, Calif./Fairfield) and a grand slam from Cassie Lloyd (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg).
With her appearance in both games, Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) became the all-time leader in games played at Bucknell, taking part in her 184th career contest. The senior passed former teammate Erin Curatola to take the top spot. Ashley Carlson (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) also earned two starts on the day, tying her for second with Curatola at 182 career games.
The Bison found themselves in an early hole in game two after allowing five runs in the first inning. The Raiders (17-10, 7-3) connected for two home runs, first a two-run shot from Tiana Tyeskey and later a three-run homer from Erin Gomez. Colgate added three more runs in the second inning, giving it a seemingly comfortable 8-0 lead.
Bucknell's bats broke out of their slumber in the third inning, as the Bison sent 14 batters to the plate and put eight runs on the scoreboard. Carlson led off the inning by reaching base on an error. The Raiders' misstep proved costly as Snyder hit her first home run of the day and set the score at 8-2.
Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) followed Snyder by drawing a walk and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Ford. Beans and Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) loaded the bases for Lloyd. The senior then made her first home run of the season a grand slam, bringing the Bison to within a pair of runs at 8-6.
With still only one out in the inning, Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central) singled up the middle and advanced on another sacrifice bunt, this time from Lauren Trosch (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh). Colmenero eventually scored on a Colgate error, while Carlson, who walked in her second plate appearance of the inning, scored on a single up the middle from Ford. At the end of the Bison's half of the third, the team had tied things up at eight apiece.
Not to be outdone, Colgate regained its advantage in its half of the inning, tacking on two runs on a two-RBI single from Tyeskey and going up 10-8.
Neither team scored in the fourth inning, but Bucknell managed to tie the game for the second time in the fifth. Snyder led off the inning with a walk and scored on an error, while Ford reached base on an error and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Beans. At the end of five, the scoreboard read 10-10.
Both teams put up a final count in the sixth inning, as Bucknell took its first lead of the day on the bat of Snyder. With two outs, the sophomore hit her second home run of the day to keep the inning alive. Fry reached on a Raider error, and Ford made the opponent pay, hitting her own homer, giving the Bison the 13-10 advantage.
Much like the third inning, however, Colgate responded with four runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Tyeskey was again the main culprit, drilling her second home run of the game and third of the day.
The shot gave the Colgate second baseman seven RBI in the game.
Pavlovich led off the seventh inning with a double, her second of the game, but Bucknell was unable to move her any farther. With a scoreless seventh, the Bison fell 14-13.
With the two doubles, Pavlovich has 27 in her career, tying her for eighth place on the all-time doubles list at Bucknell.
Despite the offensive production, Liz Fanning (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure HS) took the loss for Bucknell after relieving Jane Messersmith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) in the second inning. Fanning (0-7) allowed five earned runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings. Lacy Ver Steeg (3-4), also in the game in relief, claimed the win for Colgate after giving up seven runs on seven hits.
Snyder's two home runs marked her only hits of the game, putting her at 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBI in the contest. Ford also finished 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI, Pavlovich was 3-for-4 with a run and a walk, and Lloyd went 2-for-5 with a run and four RBI.
In stark contrast to game two, Bucknell connected for just two hits in the game-one shutout, with both singles coming in the fifth inning. At that point, the Raiders led by a mere two runs and the game was still within reach for the Bison. Beans singled to right field, and Snyder singled to second base two batters later to put her teammate in scoring position. With two outs, however, the Bison were unable to capitalize on their lone scoring opportunity.
Colgate made the most of its opportunities in the bottom of the sixth inning. Katie McDonald (York, Pa./West York Area) walked the Raiders' leadoff batter, then surrendered the second two-run home run of the day to Tyeskey to put Bucknell down 4-0.
A total of 10 Raiders came to the plate in the inning, gathering four hits and two walks. After putting five runs on the scoreboard in the set, the Bison trailed by the final 7-0.
McDonald (7-7) took the loss for the Orange and Blue, giving up seven runs on six hits in six innings of work. She also walked four batters, while striking out three. Jesse McCarrick (8-2) was the game's winning pitcher. In addition to her two allowed hits, she struck out seven and walked only one.
Snyder finished the game 1-for-1at the plate with a walk.
The same two teams conclude their four-game series with a noon doubleheader tomorrow at the Eaton Street Field. The Bison then return to their own stomping grounds for a mid-week, non-league contest with UMBC at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 at the Bucknell Softball Field.
