Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Coppin State
Bucknell Softball Takes Two Games Off Coppin State in Tripleheader
3/28/2010 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 28, 2010
BALTIMORE, Md. - Bucknell softball broke out of an offensive skid, winning the final two games of a tripleheader at Coppin State on Sunday. The Bison (7-7) were shut out of the opening contest 5-0 but came back for a pair of 9-1 victories in games two and three. Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University) hit .556 (5-9) with two runs and four RBI in the three games. Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) hit her second home run of the season and Kara Sullivan (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) connected for her first long shot in the day's final bout.
The day started slowly for the Bison as they took a 5-0 loss in the morning. Their offense returned in time to finish strong, however. Game two featured a quick first two innings before Bucknell got on the board. Kathryn Wilkinson (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) reached on a fielder's choice in the top of the third. She advanced to second on a throwing error by the Eagles' (12-10) catcher and eventually scored on a double from Lauren Fry (Plainfield, N.J./Plainfield). Pavlovich improved the Bison's lead to 3-0 later in the inning with a double of her own, scoring fry and Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas).
Coppin State got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning, but that was the last of its offense. Bucknell continued to knock in doubles to extend its lead. Finkel hit her first of the day in the top of the fourth, drilling it down the left field line and scored on a single from Horton. Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) doubled in the fifth, eventually scoring with the help of a single from Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) to put the Bison ahead 5-1.
Bucknell took a 7-1 lead into the seventh inning where Snyder singled to right field and scored on another double from Finkel. Finkel crossed the plate on an error to close out the scoring at 9-1, and the Bison evened the series with one game remaining.
Bucknell hit five doubles in the contest with Finkel leading the way. The senior was 3-for-4 at the plate, while Snyder was 2-for-4. Both players finished the game with two runs and an RBI.
Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) earned the win in the pitchers' circle, improving her record to 2-1. The freshman gave up just one hit and no earned runs in 7.0 innings pitched. She also struck out a career-high seven batters. Taking the loss for Coppin State was Tiffani Whaley (1-5). Whaley gave up nine runs on 12 hits in 7.0 innings.
The Bison continued to show off their power hitting in game three. Pavlovich broke open the scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning, giving the senior her third and fourth RBI of the day, tying Finkel for the series high. Shelly McCormack (Humble, Texas/Kingwood) led off the second inning with a double and scored on an RBI single from Sullivan. Sullivan later came home as Horton registered a double of her own. Bucknell plated two more before Coppin State recorded the third out and at the end of two innings, Bucknell had jumped to a 6-0 lead.
That advantage only grew in the third inning as Sullivan drilled her first home run of the season and the second of her career. The shot also score McCormack, who had reached on a single, and put the Bison ahead 8-0.
Coppin State recovered one run in the bottom of the inning, but it was the only run it would put on the board in the final game. Stephanie Watts doubled to lead off the Eagles' half of the inning and eventually scored on an RBI single from Candice Wright.
Bucknell tagged on one more run in the top of the fourth inning as Finkel singled in Fry, giving the Bison the final 9-1 win.
Liz Fanning (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure HS) earned the win in the five-inning complete game and evened her record at 1-1. The sophomore gave up one run on five hits and struck out five. Paige Arnold (11-5), who also pitched in game one for the Eagles, took the loss, giving up eight runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings.
Offensively, Finkel, Horton and McCormack each hit 2-for-3 to close out the day. Sullivan hit 2-for-2 and Fry totaled three runs despite hitting just 1-for-2. Finkel and Sullivan both tallied three RBI.
The lone blemish on the Bison's outing came in the morning game. Coppin State sprinted out to a 4-0 lead on a series of singles, sacrifices and errors in the first inning. Its fifth run came on a homer from Jade Dudley in the bottom half of the fifth.
Between those frames, Bucknell struggled to get its offense rolling. Pavlovich walked in the fourth to give the Bison their first base runner of the day, but she was erased on the next batter with a fielder's choice. Alicia Wheeler (Scottsdale, Ariz./Paradise Valley) recorded Bucknell's first hit with a single in the sixth, and Horton also reached on a single in the seventh. Both Bison advanced to second with stolen bases, but that was as far as they got.
Arnold's strong pitching performance gave her the complete-game victory. Her shutout came after allowing only two hits and striking out 10. Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) saw her record fall to 4-2 after giving up five runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings of work. Fanning did her best to control the damage. As a reliever, Fanning did not allow a run and surrendered one hit in 2.0 innings.
Bucknell will try to improve its team record to better than .500 when it heads to Philadelphia for a doubleheader against Drexel on Wednesday, March 31. Action begins at 3 p.m.
