Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Saint Francis (Pa.)
Extra-Base Hits Power Bucknell Softball Past Saint Francis (Pa.) 5-4 & 11-1
4/15/2010 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 15, 2010
LORETTO, Pa. - Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) hit 3-for-6 with two home runs and a double as Bucknell softball powered past Saint Francis (Pa.) 5-4 in game one and 11-1 in a six-inning nightcap in Loretto, Pa., on Thursday. The pair of victories brings the Bison's record to 17-11 overall and gives them their second consecutive non-conference sweep.
With her two long shots, Pavlovich moved into the top 10 at Bucknell in career home runs with seven. She also improved her position on the career doubles (t-4th) and runs scored (t-5th) lists. Pavlovich was not the only Bison making her mark in the record books, however. Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) now ranks eighth in career runs scored and tied for sixth in single-season walks.
The strong individual play has led to seven wins in the last eight games for the Bison. The stretch of recent success began with a two-game sweep over Mount St. Mary's in Bucknell's last non-conference series and includes three wins in the set at Lafayette last weekend.
Bucknell's streak was in danger in its first contest with the Red Flash (9-30) despite jumping out to a 5-1 lead. Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) drew a walk to load the bases in the second inning, and Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University) scored the first run of the day on a fielder's choice. Jane Messersmith (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) then made the score 2-0 by scoring on an errant throw from the catcher as Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) stole second.
The Bison built on their lead one run at a time over the next three innings. An RBI double off the bat of Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) in the third scored Fry and made it 3-0. Snyder tacked on another run in the fourth inning, and Pavlovich connected for her first home run of the day to lead off the fifth and set the score at 5-1.
Saint Francis made a run in the bottom half of the sixth inning. The Red Flash put two runners on base and Raquel Rugani cleared them with a home run. It was the second homer of the game for Saint Francis after Taylor Darnielle led off the fourth inning with her own long shot to give her team its first run of the day.
Bucknell pitcher Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) gave up two more hits in the sixth but got out of the inning without any further damage. The Bison's 5-4 lead held for the remainder of the contest despite another threat from the Red Flash in the seventh. Katelyn McMellen singled and Rugani was walked intentionally with two outs. Saint Francis tried to cash in on those base runners with Courtney Francis at the plate. The outfielder singled through the left side, but McMellen was thrown out at home on a strong throw from Cassie Greenhawk (Oxford, Md./Easton) in left field to secure the Bison victory.
MacLean (6-1) earned her fourth win in as many starts, allowing four runs on nine hits in 7.0 innings. Megan Layne (7-17) took the loss for the Red Flash. The pitcher gave up five runs on six hits in the complete game. She also struck out six.
Game two looked as if it would be just as closely contended as the first. Both team scored in the opening frame. Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) was responsible for Bucknell's first run of the contest after recording a leadoff triple and scoring on a sacrifice fly from Finkel. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Saint Francis' Rugani scored McMellen in the bottom half of the inning to tie it at 1-1.
Okita broke that tie in the top of the second with her third home run of the season. Bucknell never looked after the senior's shot, scoring two multiple runs in the final three innings of the game.
Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) and Snyder teamed up for the Bison's third run. After Snyder reached base on a sacrifice bunt, Dickson drilled a double to left center field to score her teammate. Finkel, who had also reached on a bunt, made the score 4-1 on an illegal pitch from the Red Flash's Carmen Gurrola.
The Bison put three more runs on the board in the fifth, including Pavlovich's second home run of the day. Messersmith and Snyder also scored later in the inning with some help from three consecutive singles and a pair of fielding errors. At the end of five frames, Bucknell had a comfortable 7-1 advantage.
That advantage continued to grow as the game continued. Greenhawk walked with one out in the sixth inning, then scored on a double to center field from Pavlovich. Shelly McCormack (Humble, Texas/Kingwood) got in on the power hitting with her first career home run. The two-run shot set the score at 10-1, but the Bison were not done yet. Messersmith tripled, giving Bucknell three straight extra-base hits, and scored on a wild pitch.
Saint Francis earned two base runners in the bottom of the sixth, but the game was too far out of reach at that point and nothing came of the late offense. Bucknell closed out its third consecutive victory, handing pitcher Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) her team-leading eighth win. The freshman is now 8-3 on the season with her one-run, five-hit complete game. Saint Francis' lone run was unearned, bringing Gates' season ERA to 2.55.
Gurrola (2-12) took the loss, giving up 11 runs on 12 hits in 6.0 innings pitched.
Horton (2-4), Pavlovich (2-3) and Messersmith (3-4) each finished with multiple hits and combined for five runs. Snyder was also 1-for-3 with two runs, Pavlovich and McCormack added two RBI apiece. At the end of the day, the Bison had combined for four home runs, three doubles and two triples.
Bucknell will try to take its momentum into Patriot League action this weekend. The Bison host Colgate April 17-18 at the Varsity Softball Field. Both doubleheaders are slated for a 12 p.m. start, and live stats for all four games will be available on BucknellBison.com.
