Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Bucknell Baseball Hits Six Home Runs in Doubleheader Split with Lafayette
4/3/2010 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 3, 2010
EASTON, Pa. - Bucknell and Lafayette combined for 11 home runs and each team posted a win in its final at bat as the Bison and Leopards split a Patriot League-opening doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Kamine Stadium. Bucknell snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-3 win in game one, while Lafayette earned the split with a high-scoring 14-13, 10-inning victory in game two.
Bucknell's Andrew Brouse posted the first two-home run game of his career in game two, while Lafayette's A.J. Miller hit three home runs and drove in six runs in the nightcap.
A number of late-inning runs impacted the outcome in game one as Lafayette scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth of the seven-inning affair to take a 3-2 lead into the final inning. The Bison quickly answered with three runs of their own in the top of the seventh to retake the lead, while Andrew Clarke yielded only a one-out single in the bottom of the inning to earn his second save of the year.
Thanks to a three-run home run in the first by Miller and a two-run shot in the third, Bucknell fell behind by a 6-1 score in game two. However, a seven-run sixth inning evened the score at 9-9. Brouse and Doug Shribman each hit two-run home runs in the frame, while a two-run double by Ben Yoder capped the scoring.
The score did not remain tied for long as the Leopards retook the lead with a four-run bottom of the sixth. Alex Bechta hit a two-run double, Kevin Casey recorded a sacrifice fly and Miller homered to make it 13-9. All four runs were scored off Michael Dallanegra, who won game one to improve to 1-1 on the season, but entered game two with runners on first and second and none out.
Home runs brought Bucknell (11-15, 1-1 PL) back to even and forced extra innings as Bob Donato hit a three-run home run in the seventh and Drew Constable tied the score at 13-13 with a solo shot leading off the ninth inning.
Reliever Daniel Hart (1-1) shut down Lafayette (4-15, 1-1 PL) in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, retiring all nine hitters he faced during that stretch, giving the offense the chance to tie the score and force extra innings.
Hart retired his 10th consecutive hitter to start off the bottom of the 10th. Brian Davila finally reached off Hart with a one-out single and then advanced to second on an error by Brouse in right field, setting up the winning run. After an intentional walk to Rob Froio, A.J. Pisarri singled to left, driving home Davila with the winning run.
Lafayette starter Zach Fritz kept the Bison in check through the first six innings of game one, but Bucknell did manage to score single runs in the first on a Ben Yoder home run and in the fifth on a single by Ben Allen. Fritz retired the Bison in order in three of the first six frames.
Bucknell starter Trey Frahler was equally effective for the majority of game one, holding the Leopards scoreless until the sixth inning. He retired them in order in the fourth and fifth and yielded just two hits over the first five innings.
Lafayette scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth as five of the first six hitters reached off Frahler. Matt Hall hit a two-run home run to tie the score and a one-out single by Miller drove home the go-ahead run.
Trailing 3-2 entering the final inning, Bucknell capitalized on a Leopard error to put three runs on the board. Shribman led off with a double and Matt Lamore reached with a hit by pitch. Then, David Duffett attempted to bunt them over to scoring position, but a throwing error by Fritz allowed Shribman to scamper home with the tying run.
Allen followed with a run-scoring ground out against reliever Jack Rems to give Bucknell a 4-3 lead. Two hitters later B.J. LaRosa drove home Duffett with a single for an insurance run.
Yoder both had two hits in each game for the Bison, while Shribman, Constable and Donato each posted three hits in game two. Allen, Brouse, Donato and Yoder each drove in three runs in the doubleheader.
The 13 runs Bucknell scored in game two marked its first double-figure scoring game since posting 11 runs against Yale on March 16.
With his two home runs Saturday, Brouse now has 19 in his career, tying him for fifth place on the program's all-time list. He and Yoder pace the team with six apiece this year. Shribman and Donato, who each also homered Saturday, have four home runs. Bucknell already has 27 home runs as a team this year after hitting 34 all last season.
Bucknell and Lafayette will wrap up their four-game series with another doubleheader Sunday at noon. The twinbill will have a live video broadcast available on Bison Vision.
