Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
North Dakota
Bucknell Softball Beats North Dakota 7-4, Falters in 14-2 Loss to Loyola Marymount
3/19/2010 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 19, 2010
LOS ANGELES - Bucknell softball got a heavy dose of both the good and the bad, splitting decisions between North Dakota and Loyola Marymount at the Crowne Plaza LAX Showcase at the Lions' Smith Field Friday. The Bison (4-5) opened play with a 7-4 victory over the Fighting Sioux but made an early exit in a 14-2 loss in five innings to Loyola Marymount later in the day. Lauren Fry (Plainfield, N.J./Plainfield) continued her steady offensive play, which included a 3-for-3 outing with against North Dakota.
Fry played a key role in Bucknell's success over the Fighting Sioux. Her three-hit day began with a home run in the third inning that broke open the scoring. The outfielder struck again in the fifth, leading off with a walk and scoring on a single up the middle from Jane Messersmith (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor). The run broke a 3-3 tie and gave Bucknell back the lead for good.
Fry continued to improve her average, nabbing a bunt single to lead off the seventh. She was replaced on the base paths by Alicia Wheeler (Scottsdale, Ariz./Paradise Valley), and Wheeler eventually put the Bison ahead 6-3 on a single from Shelly McCormack (Humble, Texas/Kingwood).
That was the second RBI in the game for McCormack as she and Fry combined to go 6-for-7 at the plate. Both Bison are hitting .500 or better at the tournament with Fry at .583 (7-12) and McCormack batting .500 (5-10) through the last four games.
Despite the solid play from Bucknell's upperclassmen, the team had a brief scare in the fourth inning against North Dakota (5-19). The Bison opened the inning by extending their lead to 3-0 as Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) drilled a single to center field that scored Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) and Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland).
That advantage disappeared in the bottom half of the inning, however, as the Fighting Sioux connected for a pair of doubles and benefited from two throwing errors from the Bison. North Dakota never pulled ahead as Bucknell continued to put runs on the board and Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) limited the Fighting Sioux to just one more run for the rest of the game.
Gates (4-1) bounced back from yesterday's rocky outing, allowing just one earned run on eight hits. The freshman also struck out two and walked two in her complete game. Emma Gronseth (4-8) took the loss for North Dakota. Bucknell tallied five runs on eight hits against the starter.
The Bison's defense all but disappeared in the second game of the day against Loyola Marymount (9-11). It was not the first time Bucknell had been outmatched by the Lions, however. The Bison have been outscored by the host school 24-3 in the last two days.
Friday's matchup got off on the wrong foot with Loyola Marymount sending nine batters to the plate and scoring five times in the first inning. The early production knocked Messersmith out of the pitchers' circle with less than an inning to her credit.
The Lions put up a nearly identical performance two frames later, scoring another five runs after sending 10 up to bat. Through the first three innings, Loyola Marymount had already constructed a very comfortable 12-0 lead and sent its second Bucknell pitcher back to the dugout in Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area).
Liz Fanning (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure) allowed two more runs in the fourth inning before Messersmith made her second appearance in the contest and got the final three outs. Bucknell ended the shutout in its last attempt. Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central) singled down the left side and scored on an RBI single from Fry. Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas), pinch running for Fry, scored the final run for the Bison with the help of singles from Pavlovich and Ford.
Loyola Marymount's Danielle Smith, Kelly Sarginson and J.J. Hartung each finished 2-for-2 at the plate, while Darcy Pagnini was 2-for-3. No Bison recorded more than one hit.
Melissa Dykema (6-6) earned the win by giving up two runs on five hits in 5.0 innings of work. Messersmith (0-2) took the loss after getting tagged for five runs on four hits in 1.2 innings pitched.
Bucknell will wrap up its California Spring Break trip tomorrow, taking on Utah Valley (11 a.m.) and North Dakota (3 p.m.).
