Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Colgate
Bucknell Softball Wins Fifth Straight, Defeats Colgate 3-2 & 13-3
4/17/2010 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 17, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell softball extended its winning streak to five games with a doubleheader sweep over Colgate at the Bucknell Softball Field on Saturday afternoon. The Bison (19-11, 7-3) defeated the Raiders 3-2 (8 inn.) and 13-3 (5 inn.), putting their record eight games over .500 for the first time since 1993.
Bucknell's solid all-around play has put the team on quite the streak lately. In the last four games, the Bison have recorded 19 extra-base hits, while strong pitching has limited opponents to just three. Bucknell has also outscored its last two opponents in Saint Francis (Pa.) and Colgate 32-10. The Bison have now won nine of their last 10 games.
Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central) was directly responsible for three of Bucknell's extra-base hits today. The junior finished the doubleheader 3-for-5 at the plate with a double and two triples. Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) also had a hand in the action with a double and a home run. As a team, the Bison connected for five doubles, four triples and a home run.
Colmenero's double came in the sixth inning of the day's opening contest. Bucknell had trailed Colgate (20-14, 3-7) 1-0 since the first frame, but Colmenero's long hit to center field set the stage to knot things up. Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) doubled to left center field to score Lauren Trosch (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh), who was pinch running for Colmenero.
With the score tied at 1-1, neither team was able to get the offense going in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings. The Raiders pulled ahead for the second time with an RBI single off the bat of Jennifer Ortega. Ortega was then caught stealing with a strong throw from Colmenero.
The defensive effort put the bat back in Colemenero's hands, and the catcher tripled to right field. A double from Fry evened the score at 2-2, and Pavlovich advanced her teammate to third base with a single. Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) recorded the game-winning RBI single with one out, setting the final at 3-2.
Despite the late-inning offensive push, pitching was the story through much of the game. Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) totaled a career-high nine strikeouts in 8.0 innings pitched. The freshman struck out the side in the second inning, giving her five straight punch outs after the final two batters in the first inning failed to get their bat on the ball. Gates (9-3) allowed five hits, no earned runs and did not give up a walk in her complete game.
Taking the loss was Courtney O'Connell (4-4). The Colgate pitcher never faced more than four batters in an inning until the sixth. She ended the day with nine hits, six of which came after the fifth inning, three earned runs and four strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work.
The trend continued in the second game of the day with Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) keeping the Raiders at bay with her effective pitching and the Bison using extra-base hits to get on the board. MacLean faced just six batters in the first two innings. Bucknell took advantage, scoring twice in the second as Jane Messersmith (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) and Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) came home on a double from Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis).
Okita reached third base, but the Bison were unable to score her despite having two outs to work with. That looked like it would come back to haunt Bucknell in the top of the third as an error and three consecutive base hits put the Bison back on the comeback trail as Colgate pulled ahead 3-2.
The home team's concern was quickly erased. MacLean got Bucknell through the fourth inning without any further damage, and the Bison sent nine batters to the plate and added four runs to the scoreboard to reclaim a 6-3 advantage. Snyder drew her second of three walks in the contest. Okita and Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) were both hit by pitches to load the bases with one out.
Fry scored Snyder with a single up the middle to tie the game at 3-3. With the bases still full of Bison, Pavlovich drew a walk and forced Colgate pitcher Lacy Ver Steeg from the game. The switch to Jesse McCarrick did not pay off for the Raiders as the reliever walked Ford to put Bucknell up 5-3, and a wild pitch scored Fry for 6-3.
The fifth inning turned out to be much of the same as the Bison batted around for the second straight inning. Just as before, Snyder walked to lead off the inning and was advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Okita. Snyder made the score 7-3 after scoring on Colmenero's triple. Colmenero and Horton, who walked in her plate appearance, opened the door for Fry's three-run home run that set the score at 10-3.
McCarrick loaded the bases one more time with a walk, a single and double, but that did not last long. Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University), who at that point was the only Bison not to reach base in the game, cleared the bases with a triple to right center, scoring Pavlovich, Ford and Cassie Greenhawk (Oxford, Md./Easton). With Bucknell ahead 13-3, the game was called with one out being recorded in the bottom of the fifth.
Horton closed out the game 1-for-1 at the plate with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and two runs. Fry was 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBI. Snyder scored three times despite going 0-for-0 with three walks.
In the circle, MacLean (7-1) won her fifth straight appearance. The freshman did not allow an earned run on three hits in 5.0 innings pitched. Ver Steeg (0-2) took the loss, giving up six runs on four hits in 3.1 innings. She also walked five.
Bucknell will try to win its second consecutive Patriot League series in another doubleheader with Colgate at noon tomorrow.
