Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy
Bucknell Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader from Navy, Remains in First Place Tie
4/19/2009 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 19, 2009
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Trey Frahler (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) and Dylan Seeley (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) both earned complete game victories and Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) extended his hitting streak to 14 games as the Bucknell baseball team swept a doubleheader from Navy Sunday afternoon at Max Bishop Stadium. The Bison won game one, which was televised nationally on CBS College Sports Netowrk, 6-4, behind two runs in the top of the seventh and claimed game two by scoring five runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to break a 4-4 deadlock.
Game one was tied at 4-4 entering the seventh, and final, inning when Brouse led off the frame with a solo home run off Chris Murray (1-3). It was his ninth home run this year and upped his RBI total to 50. Later in the frame back-to-back doubles by Andrew Loucks (Mississauga, Ontario/Appleby College) and B.J. LaRosa (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal) gave Bucknell (18-20, 10-6 Patriot League) an insurance run.
Frahler, who improved to 4-4 on the season, stopped a Navy (15-23-1, 7-9 PL) rally in the bottom of the seventh as he got JD Melton to fly out with runners on first and second and two outs. It was the third complete game of the season for Frahler, who scattered 10 hits and struck out a season-high eight.
Bucknell capitalized on a pair of Navy errors in the fifth to plate four runs, two of which were unearned. LaRosa, who had three hits and scored three runs in the doubleheader, got things started with a one-out single to left. He later scored when Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) tried to sacrifice him and Bret Sokirka (Wyoming, Pa./Wyoming Area) to second and third, but pitcher Zach Sipe's throw to first went wide. Sokirka, who reached on a single, later scored on a fielder's choice by Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg), while an RBI single by Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) knocked Sipe from the game one out into the fifth. A two-out double by Doug Shribman that scored Yoder rounded out the four-run inning for the Bison, who had managed two hits and four baserunners over the first four innings.
Navy, which scored single runs in the first and fourth off Frahler, tied the score at 4-4 with a pair of runs in the sixth as Michael Speciale, Jonathan Berkowitz and Melton recorded back-to-back-to-back doubles leading off the inning. Frahler rebounded to retire three of the next four hitters to end the frame with the score tied.
Bucknell totaled 11 hits in game one and 13 more in game two and has now recorded double-figure hits in seven straight contests and 10 of the last 11. Allen, Brouse and LaRosa each collected two hits in the opener as eight of the nine starters had at least one hit. In the nightcap, each position in the lineup tallied at least one hit, while Allen led the way with a 3-for-5 performance as he extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Game two was close, but another late rally by the Bison helped them win for the third time in four chances against the Mids this weekend. The score was tied 4-4, but Bucknell scored an unearned run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Sokirka to take the lead. The Bison then added two more in the seventh on an RBI double by Shribman and an RBI single by pinch hitter Loucks.
An RBI single by Allen and an RBI groundout by Grandizio in the eighth provided Bison starter Seeley with two insurance runs he would not need.
Seeley (3-4) registered his second complete game this season and the fourth of his career as he scattered nine hits over his nine innings of work. He struck out five and walked just one. The Mids had just three hits over the final three innings against the right-hander who is 3-1 against Patriot League competition this year.
Bucknell touched Navy starter TJ Kerins (2-2) for 10 hits and seven runs in his 6.1 innings. The Bison managed just three hits and two runs off relievers Jeff Murdza and Melton.
Navy was plagued by four errors in game two, and six overall in the doubleheader, but those miscues led to only four unearned runs.
Brouse, who now ranks fifth on Bucknell's single-season home run list and fifth on the RBI ledger, and Allen were not the only two Bison to extend long hitting streaks Sunday as Shribman has now hit in 10 consecutive games. The sophomore is 18-for-42 (.429) over that span.
With Frahler and Seeley each pitching complete games Sunday, Bucknell received a complete game from its starter in all three of its wins this weekend.
Even though Bucknell claimed three of four games against Navy this weekend, the Bison remain in a first-place tie in the Patriot League standings with Army. The Black Knights swept four games from last-place Lehigh this weekend and have the same 10-6 league mark as Bucknell. The top four teams in the final Patriot League standings qualify for the postseason tournament, while the top two seeds host first-round series.
Bucknell will wrap up the non-league portion of its schedule with a home doubleheader against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, April 22. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. at Depew Field.
