Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Old Dominion
Bucknell Baseball Opens Four-Game Series at Old Dominion with 9-5 Loss
2/26/2010 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 26, 2010
NORFOLK, Va. - Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) and Drew Constable (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) each had three hits and Bucknell scored in the top of the first inning for the fourth consecutive game, but the Bison relinquished their early two-run lead and opened a four-game series at Old Dominion with a 9-5 loss to the Monarchs Friday afternoon at Bud Metheny Field.
Bucknell (0-4) registered a season-high 13 hits and played an errorless contest, but Old Dominion scored nine runs from the second through fifth innings to go up 9-3. The Bison chipped away at the lead with single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but could not draw within the final four-run margin.
The day started off well for Bucknell with the first three hitters in the top of the first reaching base. Allen doubled lead off the game. B.J. LaRosa (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal) then walked and Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After back-to-back strikeouts Constable singled to center, driving in Allen and LaRosa.
Bison starting pitcher Alex Cillo (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Township) allowed three Monarchs to reach base in the bottom of the first, but worked out of the jam with a pick off and a pair of strikeouts. However, Old Dominion (4-1) got to him in the second. Chris Buss led off the inning with a solo home run and two hitters later Cameron Scott hit a two-run home run to left. A single by Austin Wright, who later came around to score, knocked Cillo (0-1) from the game. In 1+ innings of work, Cillo was touched for five hits and four earned runs. He did strike out two, but also walked a pair.
Russell Seidell (Granville, Ohio/Granville) relieved Cillo and walked the first batter he faced, but then retired the next three in order to get out of the inning. Old Dominion added two runs in the third off Seidell, who allowed the first two hitters to reach base and later score. The Monarchs then scored three more in the fifth thanks to three consecutive RBI hits by Scott, Wright and leadoff hitter Austin McGowan. Overall, Seidell lasted four innings, yielded eight hits and five runs and struck out two. He left the game with the Bison trailing 9-3.
Andrew Clarke (Montgomery, Texas/Montgomery) was on the mound the final three innings for Bucknell and had his second straight strong performance. He yielded a single in the sixth inning and a double in the eighth as he faced only one over the minimum thanks to an inning-ending double play in the sixth. He has now pitched 6.0 innings this year and has given up three hits and no runs.
Bucknell's offense was strong as seven of the nine starters tallied at least one hit. The Bison had at least two baserunners in six of the nine innings and went down 1-2-3 just once. LaRosa, who was on base four times, joined Allen and Constable with multiple hits as he had a pair of doubles. He scored the final run of the game in the top of the ninth, coming around to score on an Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) ground out after a leadoff double.
A two-out RBI single by Constable in the third and a pinch-hit RBI single by Matt Lamore in the eighth accounted for Bucknell's other two runs.
Old Dominion starter Kyle Hald lasted 6.2 innings and struck out 11 Bison as he picked up his second win of the season.
With his 2-for-4 performance Friday, LaRosa has hit safely in all four games this season, and five in a row dating back to last year. He leads the team with a .500 batting average this year.
A total of six Old Dominion players posted multi-hit outings, including Josh Wright and Donnie Corsner, who had three hits apiece. Scott finished with a team-high four RBIs and two runs scored.
The Bison and Monarchs will square off in a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
