Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Utah Valley
Bucknell Softball Swept on Day One of Loyola Marymount Tournament
3/18/2010 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 18, 2010
LOS ANGELES - Lauren Fry (Plainfield, N.J./Plainfield) hit .500 with a pair of runs and an RBI, but the junior's consistent offensive performance was not enough to keep Bucknell softball from dropping its opening games at the Crowne Plaza LAX Showcase at Loyola Marymount's Smith Field on Thursday. The Bison (3-4) dropped the first contest of the day to Utah Valley, 7-6 in eight innings, and was unable to bounce back later in the day, taking a 10-1 loss to Loyola Marymount.
Fry, who scored the game-winning run in the Bison's win against Harvard on Tuesday, tied the game against Utah Valley at 5 apiece in the top of the seventh inning. Bucknell had trailed by a pair of runs for much of the game but came one step closer at 5-4 on an RBI single from Kathryn Wilkinson (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) that scored Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University) in the sixth. Fry then led off the seventh with a single to center and came home with the help of a sacrifice bunt from Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) and a single down the left line from Shelly McCormack (Humble, Texas/Kingwood).
Liz Fanning (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure HS), who entered the game in relief in the third inning, retired the side in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.
The Bison again bunted to put another run on the board as Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) moved Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) to third on the sacrifice. Snyder scored on an error by the Utah Valley (4-10) shortstop to give Bucknell its first lead since the third inning. The Wolverines did one better, however, scoring twice in the bottom of the eighth. Megan Kisner connected for an RBI single with one out to tie the game at 6-6 and Gardner, who had reached on a fielder's choice, scored the game winner on a wild pitch.
Fanning (0-1) allowed just two runs, one of them earned, and one hit in her five innings of relief. She also struck out four. Utah Valley's Kyli Flanary (2-5) earned the win, giving up six run son nine hits and striking out eight.
The Wolverine's Amanda Perez, who recorded a two-run homer in the third inning to give Utah Valley the 5-3 lead, closed out her day 3-for-5 with a run and three RBI. Bucknell's Fry finished the first game of the day 2-for-4 with two runs, while Finkel was also 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
Fry also had her hand in the Bison's slow offense in the team's nine-run loss to Loyola Marymount (6-11) later in the day. Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) tripled in the Bison's first at-bat of the game. The freshman later scored on a Fry double down the left field line.
The run only narrowed the Bucknell deficit to 2-1, however. Sam Fischer struck first for the Lions with a two-run homer in the top of the first inning. Loyola Marymount continued to tack onto its lead over the next two innings. Danielle Smith singled in a run in the second and Darcy Pagnini connected for another home run in the third to give the Lions the 4-1 advantage.
Bucknell had an opportunity to close the gap in the bottom of the third. The Bison drew three consecutive walks to load the bases with one out but were unable to take advantage of the hiccup by Lions pitcher Molly Medeiros.
Fischer hit her second two-run homer of the game in the fifth inning, but Loyola Marymount's offense did not really take off until the seventh. The Lions sent 10 batters to the plate and recorded six hits to set the score at 10-1.
Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) (3-1) saw her perfect ERA disappear as she allowed six runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings of work. Medeiros (1-4) allowed just one run on four hits in her complete game.
The Lions' Fischer closed out her day 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBI to lead all players offensively. The sophomore now has five home runs on the season. Fry and Horton each went 1-for-2, while Jane Messersmith (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) was 2-for-3 at the plate for the Bison. Fry hit a combined 3-for-6 in Thursday's games.
Bucknell will be back in action tomorrow for day two of the tournament. The Bison will take on North Dakota at 1 p.m., followed by Loyola Marymount again at 5 p.m.
