Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
James Madison
Bucknell Softball Ends Kickin' Chicken Classic with 4-0 Loss to James Madison
2/20/2011 7:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 20, 2011
CONWAY, S.C. - Bucknell softball threatened early and often, but the Bison were unable to get any runs across the plate as they lost 4-0 to James Madison in their final game of the Coastal Carolina Kickin' Chicken Classic on Sunday afternoon. Bucknell (1-4) stranded three players in scoring position in the first two innings and added a fourth in the fourth. The Dukes scored three times late in the game, however, handing the Bison their fourth consecutive loss.
Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) led off the game with a single to right field and advanced to third base with some help from Bucknell's next two batters. The senior couldn't get any farther after Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) grounded out to third with two outs.
The second inning followed a similar pattern. Mallory Lyons (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) walked and was sacrificed over by Kathryn Wilkinson (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas). Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) reached base on an error, and Sophia Geraci (East Moriches, N.Y./Westhampton Beach) put them Lyons and Dickson in scoring position despite grounding out to the pitcher. Just as in the first inning, the Bison were unable to plate any runners with two outs.
At the end of the game, seven Bison were left stranded on the base paths. In the first five games of the season, Bucknell left 30 runners on base including 17 in two contests opposite the Dukes.
Neither team had scored after the first two innings. While Bucknell had its opportunities, James Madison (3-2) struggled to get theirs as Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) retired the first six batters she faced. The Dukes found their swing in the third inning and tagged the Bison sophomore for two hits and a walk. Lindsey Tomasz doubled down the left field line before being brought home with an RBI bunt single from Ashley Burnham.
Bucknell saw another scoring opportunity in the fourth inning slip away, and James Madison took advantage by adding to its runs total in the fifth. Burnham drove in her second run of the day with a two-out ground rule double to give the Dukes a 2-0 lead. That improved to 3-0 in the sixth with a leadoff home run from Caitlen Manning and 4-0 in the seventh when Caitlin Sandy scored after drawing a walk.
James Madison's final run of the day was credited to Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) who entered the game in relief at the start of the seventh inning. It was MacLean (1-2) who took the loss, however, allowing three runs on five hits. She also struck out five, bringing her weekend strikeout total to 15.
Olivia McPherson (2-0) earned the victory in her complete-game shutout, giving up just three hits. The senior struck out one and walked three in the outing.
Bucknell will be back in action next weekend at the Longwood University Tournament in Farmville, Va. Play, which includes games against Stony Brook, Quinnipiac and Longwood, runs March 26-27.
