Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Northwestern
10th-Inning Single by Donato Lifts Bucknell Baseball to 4-3 Victory Over Northwestern
3/20/2010 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 20, 2010
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Bob Donato lofted a single into center field, scoring Ben Allen from second base with one out in the top of the 10th inning as the Bucknell baseball team overcame two Northwestern runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Wildcats, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at Chain of Lakes Park. The victory helped the Bison improve to 10-8 on the season and they finished their trip to Florida with a 5-2 mark.
Thanks to three runs in the first four innings and a strong outing by starting pitcher Dylan Seeley, Bucknell led the entire game until Northwestern (5-11) scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth. Seeley, who allowed just six hits and struck out seven in 8.0+ innings, exited the game after allowing a leadoff single to Zach Morton. Steve Carlin (1-0) replaced Seeley and allowed a hit to the first batter he faced. After a sac bunt by Hamilton Wise, the first run scored on a passed ball. The Wildcats then tied the score at 3-3 on a sac fly to deep center field.
The swiftly played game, which took less than two-and-one-half hours despite going to extra innings, would not go much longer thanks to an error by Northwestern center fielder Arby Fields on a fly ball by Allen one out into the 10th. Fields, who battled the sun all day, appeared to have caught Allen's fly ball for the second out, but it popped out of his glove, allowing Allen to scamper into second. Donato followed with his third hit of the game. Allen got a bad read on the ball and started slowly from second, but was still able to beat the relay throw home for what proved to be the winning run.
The Wildcats did get two runners on base against Carlin in the bottom of the 10th, but he was able to work out of the jam for his first career win.
Seeley had an outstanding outing, limiting Northwestern to just one unearned run in his 8.0 innings. Over the first five innings, he never faced more than four hitters in any one frame. No Wildcat runner reached third base during the first five innings and Seeley retired the side in order in four of his eight innings thanks to a caught stealing in the first and a double play in the third.
Bucknell, which was held under 10 hits for just the fourth time in its last 15 games, scored single runs in the first, third and fourth innings. In the first, Donato had a one-out single through the right side and proceeded to score on a two-out double by Andrew Brouse. With the RBI, Brouse became the seventh player in program history to reach 100 career runs batted in.
Donato was again involved in the run in the third as he popped up to center, but Fields lost it in the sun and the ball settled on the ground five feet to his right, allowing Donato to reach second. B.J. LaRosa followed with a roller through the right side, driving in Donato.
In the fourth, Doug Shribman smacked his third home run of the season, a solo shot with one out. It was a no-doubt-about-it line drive that sailed over the left field wall and staked the Bison to a 3-0 advantage.
Francis Brooke started for the Wildcats and was very effective, nearly matching Seeley. He allowed just seven hits, three runs and struck out five. He coaxed nine fly-ball outs from the Bison hitters in the first six innings of play.
Northwestern left-handed reliever Matt Gailey picked up the loss. He allowed just two hits in his 2.0 innings, but one was Donato's game-winner.
Donato teamed with Gerald Runyan, who was 2-for-4, to account for more than half of Bucknell's nine hits. Allen was 1-for-5, extending his hitting streak to seven games. He was the only Bison to record a hit in every game during the trip to Florida.
With its trip to Florida complete, the Bucknell will now look forward to its home opener, which will take place Tuesday at Depew Field against Le Moyne. It will be the first contest for the Bison on the new FieldTurf on their home field.
