Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Mount St. Mary's
Powerful Offense Leads Bucknell Softball to Mount St. Mary's Sweep, 11-4 & 8-0
4/6/2010 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 6, 2010
EMMITSBURG, Md. - Bucknell softball broke out of its mini offensive slump, totaling two home runs and 13 extra-base hits in a two-game sweep over Mount St. Mary's at Meadows Field on Tuesday. The Bison (12-10) erupted for an 11-4 victory in the opening contest before ending the Mountaineers' (18-13) night early with an 8-0 five-inning win in game two.
Bucknell put out a well-rounded effort as 10 players earned at least one hit in each contest, and several Bison improved their batting averages during the series. Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) finished a combined 3-for-4 with four runs and two RBI. Two of those hits were doubles while the third was a triple. Shelly McCormack (Humble, Texas/Kingwood) also had a career night with extra-base hits. All three of her hits resulted in doubles, putting her at 3-for-6 with two runs and two RBI in the series. Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) finished 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI, Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) was 4-for-7 with four runs batted in and Sherry Finkel (Morgantown, W. Va./University)added three RBI while going 3-for-5 at the plate. Jane Messersmith (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor) capped off the list of Bucknell's hitting accomplishments with a 3-for-3 night that included two runs and two RBI.
Fry started the attack with a lead-off double. She later scored on an RBI single from Ford. It was not until the second inning that the Bison really lit things up, however. Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) led off the inning with her second home run of the season to make the score 2-0. Messersmith followed with her first career home run making them the first Bison to connect for homers in back-to-back at-bats since Angela Stackhouse and Jenna Demetriades accomplished the feat against Lafayette in 2002.
Bucknell's offense was not finished yet, however, and it would need the extra run production after Mount St. Mary's knotted things up at 3-3 in the bottom of the third inning. Any concern was quickly erased in the fourth as Messersmith singled up the middle to re-open play. Laura Sandford (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt), pinch running for Messersmith, broke the tie with the help of a sacrifice bunt from Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central) and a throwing error from the Mountaineers.
Fry and Pavlovich teamed up for back-to-back doubles, and McCormack drew a walk, knocking pitcher Amanda Sadowl from the game. The change helped little as Ford singled to load the bases in the next at-bat and Finkel brought home McCormack and Pavlovich with an RBI single to right field to put the Bison in front 7-3.
Five hits, including doubles from Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium), McCormack and Ford, in the seventh inning helped add to Bucknell's scoring advantage. McCormack's extra-base hit scored Snyder, bringing the score to 9-3, while Ford's shot added two more runs for 11-3.
A home run from Liz Christiansen put another dent in the score for the Mountaineers, but a bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom of the seventh fell short, putting an end to Mount St. Mary's recent winning streak.
Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) brought her record to 6-3 with the win. The freshman pitched a complete game, allowing four runs on 12 hits while striking out two. Sadowl (8-6) took the loss, giving up seven runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings of work.
Bucknell's strong pitching and all-around offense continued into the nightcap as Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) earned her first shutout of the season, giving up just two hits and striking out five in 5.0 innings pitched. MacLean's record improves to 3-1 in her first season in the Orange and Blue.
MacLean's teammates gave her plenty of room to work with from the outset. Fry and Pavlovich drew back-to-back walks, and Fry scored on an RBI single from Ford. Pavlovich took her turn at crossing home plate with a sacrifice fly from Messersmith, and Ford score on a wild pitch, putting Bucknell in front 3-0 after one inning.
Facing a new Mountaineers pitcher in the third, Bucknell continued to put runs on the board. Messersmith and McCormack both registered doubles to open the inning, making the score 4-0. A single up the right field line from Finkel added one more run, and Fry made it 7-0 with a triple, scoring Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) and Finkel. Pavlovich helped ensure an early night with a double to left center field to score Fry, giving the Bison the 8-0 lead.
MacLean made quick work of the Mountaineers' lineup, facing four batters in each of the final three innings. Only a pair of singles and a hit batter broke up the perfect run down the stretch.
Bucknell faced three different pitchers in the second game, but it was Amanda Hanson (6-5) who took the loss. Hanson started the contest but lasted just 0.2 innings, giving up three runs on three hits and walking three.
Bucknell will be back in action this weekend for its next Patriot League series. The Bison will take on Lafayette April 10-11 in Easton, Pa. Saturday's action begins at 1 p.m., while Sunday gets underway at 12 p.m. The doubleheader on Sunday can be seen live on Bison Vision. Live stats will be available for all four games.
