Bucknell University
Towson
Home Runs Power Bucknell Baseball to 12-3 Win at Towson
4/14/2010 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 14, 2010
TOWSON, Md. - Andrew Brouse posted his second multi-home run game in less than two weeks and the Bucknell baseball team hit five home runs in the first seven innings as it defeated Towson, 12-3, Wednesday afternoon at Schuerholz Field. The five home runs equaled a season high for the Bison, who have smashed 21 home runs in their last 12 games.
Brouse, who posted the third multi-homer game by a Bucknell player this year, now has a team-high 11 home runs this season and 24 in his career. The 24 home runs tie him for first place on the program career list with former teammate Jason Buursma. Brouse, who paced the team with 10 home runs a year ago, is the first Bison player to post two seasons with double-figure home runs.
Also hitting home runs Wednesday were B.J. LaRosa, Doug Shribman and Drew Constable. For Shribman, it was his seventh of the season, establishing a new career high and tying Ben Yoder for second on the team behind Brouse this year. Bucknell (14-22) has now hit 43 home runs this season, just seven shy of the program record.
Seven different pitchers saw action in the game for the Bison, with freshman Marcus Garone (1-0) picking up his first career win in his second career start. He yielded just three hits and one run in 3.0 innings of work. Michael Dallanegra, Matt Lamore, Daniel Hart and Dan Goldstein combined to pitch the final three innings and did not allow a hit or a run.
Bucknell led 3-1 entering the fifth inning on a solo home run by Constable in the second and a two-run shot by Shribman in the third. The Bison proceeded to plate four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to take a commanding 11-1 edge entering the latter stages of the game.
La Rosa and Brouse got things started in the fifth with back-to-back home runs. With runners on second and third and one out, freshman Travis Clark pinch hit and came through with a one-out, two-run double. Clark, who posted another RBI double in the sixth, was 2-for-2 with three RBIs and one run scored after coming off the bench.
The Bison were able to score four more runs in the sixth despite two of the first three hitters in the frame being retired by Sean Thompson. A Bob Donato single to center scored Brouse, who had walked earlier, with the first run of the inning. Clark followed with an RBI single, plating Constable, who had drawn a two-out walk. Donato then scored on an error and Clark rounded out the scoring by stealing home in a first-and-third situation.
Donato, who had hits in his first four at bats, led the Bucknell offense with a 4-for-6 performance, his team-best third four-hit game of the season. He and Brouse combined for seven of the team's 16 hits, 10 of which went for extra bases.
Towson (10-24) actually had the early lead in the game as leadoff hitter Ben Winter tripled and then scored on a Nick Natoli single in the bottom of the first. However, Garone picked off a pair of runners in the inning, halting any kind of Tiger rally.
Towson added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on a ground out and sacrifice fly, respectively.
Like Bucknell, the Tigers used a number of pitchers, eight in total. Starter Mike Volpe (0-2) suffered the loss, giving up three runs on four hits in his 3.0 innings of work. The Bison did the most damage against reliever Ben Curd, touching him for four runs on five hits in 0.1 innings.
With his two home runs Wednesday, Brouse has hit seven in his last 11 games. He has hit two in the same day three times, thanks to home runs in both ends of this past Saturday's doubleheader against Holy Cross. Both round-trippers Wednesday were solo shots, but they helped up his season RBI total to 40. He has driven in 97 runs over the last two years.
Bucknell will return to Patriot League play this weekend when it hosts Navy in a four-game series at Depew Field. First pitch on both Saturday and Sunday is slated for 12 p.m. Sunday's doubleheader will be broadcast live on 90.5 WVBU and SportsJuice.com. The Bison and Mids are currently tied for fourth in the Patriot League standings with matching 3-5 records.
