Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army
Bucknell Softball Qualifies for Patriot League Tournament with 4-2 Win Over Army
4/26/2009 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 26, 2009
WEST POINT, N.Y. - With its 4-2 victory over Army on Saturday, Bucknell softball claimed the third seed in the Patriot League Tournament. Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central) hit two home runs in the contest to ensure the win for the Bison (18-30, 9-11). The Black Knights (21-34, 8-12) came back in game two for a 3-2 win despite early offense from Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) who connected for a lead-off homer.
The win puts the Orange and Blue back in the league's tournament for the second consecutive year. Joining them in the championship field are No. 1 Lehigh, No. 2 Colgate and No. 4 Lafayette.
Army, trying to keep itself in playoff contention, got on the board first in the day's opening game. Clara Navarro scored the first run of the day after reaching base on a Bucknell error and coming home on a single to right field from Alexis AuBuchon.
The Bison took a bit longer to post their first run, going down 1-2-3 in the first two innings, but Colmenero changed that in a hurry. The sophomore catcher hit her first home run of the year to lead off the third and tie things up at one apiece. Bucknell then took the lead in the fourth on a pair of doubles. Jane Messersmith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) hit a double down the left-field line, and Cassie Lloyd (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) brought her home on her own double to right center.
Chava Bobb tied it up again in the fifth, however. The Black Knights did it on small-ball plays. Bobb singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. She eventually scored on Reanna Johnson's single.
In danger of needing extra innings, the Bison posted their final two runs in the seventh. Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) singled to left field. The sophomore moved to second on a sacrifice from Lloyd. She was then able to take her time coming home as Colmenero's second home run of the day gave Bucknell the 4-2 advantage it needed for its fourth consecutive win.
Colmenero led the Bison in hitting, going 2-for-3 with three RBI. Katie McDonald (9-11) got the win in the pitchers' circle after allowing just one earned run on nine hits. The senior struck out one Black Knight and did not hand out a walk in seven innings of work.
Shawna Bleyl (7-12) took the loss for Army after giving up four earned runs on seven hits. She also struck out one and walked one.
Riding the wave from their tournament-clinching victory, the Bison put two early runs on the scoreboard in the night cap. Beans drilled her eighth home run of the season, moving her into a first-place tie on Bucknell's single-season homers list.
Ashley Carlson (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) kept the ball rolling with a single to left field. She scored as Messersmith singled to center to earn the early 2-0 advantage.
With the hit, Messersmith concluded her weekend with a .571 batting average (8-for-14), two doubles and three RBI. She was bettered only by Snyder, who posted a .636 average (7-for-11) against the Black Knights.
Refusing to go down easily, Army got on the board with three singles and a walk in the third inning. The Black Knights added one more in the fourth, again with a pair of singles, to go ahead 3-2. That was all Army needed as the Black Knights' pitchers allowed just three more base runners for the remainder of the game.
Despite striking out five and allowing five hits, Messersmith (8-11) took the loss for Bucknell. She lasted four innings before Liz Fanning (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure HS) shut Army out, pitching a perfect two innings to close out the game. Nicole Talarczyk (8-11) earned the win, giving up two earned runs on six hits through 5.2 innings. Bleyl earned the save after pitching the final 1.1 innings.
Each of the Bison's six hits in the contest came from a different player. Beans, Carlson, Messersmith, Lloyd, Colmenero and Kristin Frick (West Chester, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) each finished the game 1-for-3.
Bucknell had a very successful weekend at the plate. Six players hit .400 or better against Army. In addition to Snyder and Messersmith, Colmenero, Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield), Carlson and Lloyd hit the high marks.
The Orange and Blue pitching was also solid, helping to cap off the 3-1 weekend. McDonald finished with a 0.50 ERA through 14 innings. She also claimed two wins. As a team, the Bison's ERA came in at an impressive 1.81.
Bucknell will take on No. 2 Colgate on Thursday, May 7 in the double-elimination tournament at Lehigh's Kaufman Field. No. 1 Lehigh will face off against No. 4 Lafayette. The tournament runs through Saturday, May 9.
