Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn State
Penn State Posts 7-6 Walk-Off Win Over Bucknell in Baseball
4/6/2010 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 6, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team continues to get close to beating Penn State, but just hasn't been able to do it. On Tuesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, Bobby Jacobs drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Nittany Lions to a 7-6 victory over the Bison, who have lost by one run to Penn State four times in the last five meetings between the local rivals.
Penn State (12-15) scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth off reliever Andrew Clarke (1-2), who walked five of the seven batters in the inning. In fact, the Nittany Lions did not record a hit in the frame as they overcame a 6-5 deficit.
Bucknell (12-17) has lost three games in the last two years to Penn State. Last year, the Nittany Lions scored what proved to be the eventual winning runs in the bottom of the eighth inning of a 6-5 game and plated a run in the bottom of the ninth of a 12-11 contest. The Bison have now lost 15 in a row to Penn State dating back to 1998.
While Bucknell was outscored, its offense did register 15 hits, compared to just nine for Penn State. The Bison had at least two runners on base in six of the nine innings, but four of their runs came on two swings of the bat as Bob Donato hit a solo home run leading off the third and David Duffet smashed a two-out, three-run home run in the seventh, tying the score at 5-5.
The Bison, who faced six different Nittany Lion pitchers, took the lead in the eighth, capitalizing on a two-out error that allowed B.J. LaRosa to reach base. Two batters later Doug Shribman singled him home, giving Bucknell a one-run cushion.
Clarke, Bucknell's fifth pitcher in the contest and one of the team's most consistent relievers this year, entered the game in the eighth and retired Penn State in order to preserve the lead. However, he faltered in the ninth with the five walks. The Nittany Lions tied the score on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Jack Greenburg.
Bucknell initially took a 2-0 lead as Ben Allen led off the game with a single, moved to second on a ground out and then completed his trek around the bases on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Two innings later Donato's home run made it 2-0. It was the fifth home run of the season for Donato.
Penn State came back and took the lead with a single run in the third and two more in both the fifth and sixth innings. The Nittany Lions did not have much success over the first four innings against Bison starter Marcus Garone, who was making his first career start. He allowed just four hits - all singles - and one walk over the first four innings. Penn State finally got to him in the fifth as three of the first four hitters in the inning reached. Eric Jarrett then came in and promptly walked Jordan Steranka with the bases loaded and uncorked a wild pitch.
Each of Bucknell's nine starters recorded at least one hit Tuesday, with Allen, Andrew Brouse, Shribman and Matt Lamore posting two hits apiece. Allen extended his hitting streak to seven games with his 2-for-6 performance.
Each of Bucknell's last six losses to Columbia, Lafayette and Penn State has come with the opponent scoring the winning run in its last at-bat.
With the two home runs Tuesday, Bucknell now has 35 as a team, surpassing its 2009 total. The single-season program record is 50, established by the 1997 edition.
Bucknell will be right back in action on Wednesday when it travels to Buffalo, N.Y., for a doubleheader at Canisius. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
