Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Utah Valley
Bucknell Softball Goes 1-1 in Final Day of Loyola Marymount Tournament
3/20/2010 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 20, 2010
LOS ANGELES - For the second straight day, Bucknell softball split contests at the Crowne Plaza LAX Showcase at Loyola Marymount's Smith Field, falling 13-10 to Utah Valley before bouncing back for a win against North Dakota, 9-1 in five innings. The Bison close out their Spring Break trip with a 5-6 record.
Bucknell finished the tournament with a 2-4 record and both wins came against the Fighting Sioux. Lauren Fry (Plainfield, N.J./Plainfield) and Shelly McCormack (Humble, Texas/Kingwood) each hit .500 with seven RBIs on the trip.
McCormack tallied four of those runs batted in today, earning one against Utah Valley and three more against North Dakota. The senior entered the season with just three career RBI. McCormack scored her first teammate in the bottom half of the first inning against the Wolverines to tie the game at 1-1. Her sacrifice fly plated Fry who walked in her at bat and advanced to third on back-to-back illegal pitches.
Fry was followed at the plate by Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University) who also walked. Finkel eventually scored when Jane Messersmith (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) reached on a throwing error by Utah Valley's shortstop. By the end of the first inning, Bucknell held a 2-1 lead despite being hitless.
Utah Valley regained its lead in the second with the help of two consecutive extra-base hits to lead off the inning. That advantage did not last long, however, as Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) singled up the middle to score Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) to make it 3-3 after two innings.
The Wolverines added a run in the third and another in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead, but the Bison came back yet again in the fifth inning. Shaky pitching for Utah Valley paved the way for Bucknell to regain its lead. Lauren Trosch (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh), who was pinch running for Finkel after a leadoff single up the middle, scored on another illegal pitch. Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central) closed out the inning's offense for Bucknell with a three-run home run, making it 7-5 in favor of the Bison.
Utah Valley's Jessica Anderson showed off her own power to lead off the sixth and opened the door for the Wolverines to take back the lead for good. The third baseman opened with a home run to left field and Utah Valley tacked on two more for an 8-7 advantage.
Five more runs for the Wolverines in the top of the seventh dug a hole too deep for the Bison to climb out of. Despite three runs in the bottom half of the inning coming on RBI singles from Kara Sullivan (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) and Fry, Bucknell ran out opportunities in its second straight loss.
Colmenero finished the game 1-for-3 at the plate, drawing two walks in addition to her three-run homer. Fry was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI, while Finkel closed out the game 2-for-4 with a run.
Jessica Martin (2-0) earned the win in the pitchers' circle despite allowing three runs on five hits in 2.0 innings of relief. Messersmith (0-3) also earned the decision after entering the game as a reliever. The sophomore allowed five runs on three hits in 1.1 innings of work.
Bucknell's fortunes reversed in the day's second game. North Dakota took a 1-0 lead after one inning, but that was all the Fighting Sioux would get for the rest of the contest. Fry singled in the second inning, scoring Finkel to tie the game and Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) kept things going with a single up the left side to load the bases. McCormack then nabbed her first two RBIs of the game with a single to center field to make it 3-1 and bring in a new pitcher for North Dakota.
The offense picked up again in the fourth inning as the Bison plated two more. Errors wreaked havoc for the Fighting Sioux as Finkel reached on a miscue by the second baseman. Fry also reached on an error and Trosch, pinch running for Finkel, scored. Fry was brought home for the second time in the game on an RBI single from McCormack, and the Bison led 5-1 after four innings.
Bucknell needed just one more frame to close the door on North Dakota, and Okita got right to business to make sure that happened. The senior led off the inning with her first home run of the season. Four batters later, the bases were loaded for Fry who drew a walk and put the Bison ahead by six runs. Another pitching change did little to help North Dakota who gave up a run on the next batter with its fourth wild pitch of the contest. Ford then made the score final at 9-1 on an RBI single from Pavlovich.
Pavlovich closed out her day 3-for-4 at the plate. McCormack and Snyder also had multi-hit performances against North Dakota, each hitting 2-for-3.
Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) earned her first win of the season, improving her pitching record to 1-1. The freshman gave up three hits and did not allow an earned run in 5.0 innings pitched. Erica Younan (0-5) took the loss, giving up three runs on six hits in 1.2 innings of work.
Bucknell will head back east for its next series. The Bison will take on Coppin State in Baltimore, Md., March 27-28. Saturday's doubleheader is slated for a 1 p.m. start, while the Sunday single game is set for noon.
