Bucknell University
Army
Bucknell Baseball Swept by Army, 4-0 & 5-3
5/1/2010 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 1, 2010
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Andrew Brouse was 3-for-6 with one RBI to lead the Bucknell baseball team, but the Bison offense scored in just one inning of Saturday's doubleheader at Army as the Black Knights swept Bucknell 4-0 and 5-3 at Doubleday Field. Despite the two losses, the Bison need just one win over Army on Sunday to clinch a spot in the four-team Patriot League Tournament.
Brouse collected two of his hits in game one, but Bucknell (20-30, 7-11 Patriot League) advanced just one runner to third base in the seven-inning contest against Army (26-13, 15-3 PL). Black Knights' starter Ben Koenigsfeld (3-2) limited the Bison to six hits in six innings, and a Brouse double was the only hit for Bucknell off reliever Kevin McKague, who pitched the seventh inning.
Trey Frahler (4-5) pitched his second complete game of the year for the Bison, yielding nine hits, four runs and striking out five while not walking a hitter. However, Army plated two runs in the first, one in the third and one more in the fifth on a home run by Steve May. Frahler was effective despite allowing the leadoff hitter to reach in each of the first three innings. Just two of the nine hits he gave up went for extra bases.
The Bison jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in game two with three runs in the top of the first as the first four hitters reached on a walk, an error and two singles. Ben Allen drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by B.J. LaRosa when an error by first baseman McKague allowed him to reach. Ben Yoder then knocked in Allen with a single, while a Brouse single plated LaRosa. A sacrifice fly by Doug Shribman capped the scoring for Bucknell.
The Bison totaled three hits after the first inning - a double by David Duffett in the second, a single by Allen in the fifth and a single by LaRosa in the seventh.
Army starter Steve Cummings left after two innings of work, and two Black Knight relievers - Chris Simpkins (1-0) and Manny Fernandez - limited Bucknell to two hits and no runs in 7.0 innings. Simpkins also posted six strikeouts.
Bucknell's Ryan Ebner made his second career start and was effective, lasting 3.2 innings and giving up five hits and three runs, all earned. He struck out three and walked three. He allowed just one run through the first three innings, retiring the side in order in the second, but three out of four Black Knights picked up singles in the third, knocking him from the game in favor of Matt Lamore with the score tied 3-3.
Lamore was on the mound to end the third when LaRosa gunned down Zach Price trying to steal second. He then retired the first seven hitters he faced, stretching his consecutive scoreless innings pitched to 11.0. After retiring the first hitter in the seventh, the next four in a row reached, and Army took the lead on a one-out single by May. The Black Knights then tacked on an insurance run in the eighth, capitalizing on a leadoff double by Shaun Wixted.
On Saturday, Lafayette swept Navy, putting both the Leopards and Mids one game behind the Bison in the Patriot League standings. Bucknell will win any tiebreakers with Lafayette and Navy, meaning it needs just one win during Sunday's doubleheader to clinch a third consecutive postseason berth. If the Bison do qualify for the Patriot League Tournament, they can be no higher than the No. 4 seed and would play Army in the first round, May 15-16.
Sunday's Bucknell-Army doubleheader has been moved up to a 12 p.m. start due to anticipated rain showers later in the day. Those two games will complete the 2010 regular season for the Bison.
