Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Saint Joseph's
Bucknell Softball Goes Down to Saint Joseph's, Coastal Carolina at the Kickin' Chicken Classic
2/20/2011 7:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 19, 2011
CONWAY, S.C. - Bucknell softball was forced to play catch-up all day and ended up going 0-2 at the Kickin' Chicken Classic in Conway, S.C., on Saturday. The Bison (1-3) dropped an 8-5 decision to Saint Joseph's in the morning before getting shut out 2-0 by the host Coastal Carolina later in the day.
Bucknell saw its biggest offensive production of the day late in the game against Saint Joseph's (1-2). The Bison trailed 4-1 heading into the seventh inning before the Hawks put another four runs on the board in the top half of the frame.
Bucknell could only make up part of the difference by scoring four runs themselves. The first seven Bison to come to the plate all reached base, including Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh), Kathryn Wilkinson (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas), Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) and Mallory Lyons (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) who all singled. Bucknell also drew a pair of walks, but the team could come no closer than 8-5. At the end of the inning, the Bison had connected for four of their seven hits totaled in the game and four of their five runs.
Dickson recorded her second career multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a run. Lyons was 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI, while Fry, Alicia Wheeler (Scottsdale, Ariz./Paradise Valley) and Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) also drove in runs.
A shaky outing by freshman reliever Courtney Conover (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) gave Saint Joseph's the room it needed earlier in the seventh. After entering the game in the fourth inning, Conover gave up just two hits and retired the side in the sixth before hitting a snag. The rookie hit three batters and allowed two more hits to put the Hawks up 8-1. Starter Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) then re-entered the game for the final two outs without any more damage.
Gates dropped to 0-2 on the year after giving up two earned runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work. The sophomore also struck out four batters and walked only one. Conover allowed four runs on three hits in 2.2 innings. The Hawks' Erin Gallagher (1-1) earned the win, allowing one run on one hit in 4.0 innings.
Offense was again hard to come by when Bucknell went up against Coastal Carolina in the second game of the day. Only three batters when to the plate for the Bison in each of the first four innings. They finally threatened in the sixth after they were already down 2-0 to the Chanticleers, but the Bison stranded two in scoring position with nothing to show for the effort.
Sam Rollandi (San Carlos, Calif./Notre Dame Belmont) and Laura Sandford (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt) hit back-to-back singles in the sixth. Sandford eventually reached third base on a two-out single from Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium). Ford then popped up to second to end the inning and left Coastal Carolina's shutout intact.
The fourth inning had been a lucky one for the Chanticleers as both their runs came in that frame. Bison pitcher Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) gave up a lead-off single to Chelsea Pineda. That turned into the first run as Jessie Winans drove an RBI single through the left side. Winans later scored on a double from Ashley Pisone.
Those two runs turned out to be all that Coastal Carolina needed as Ashley Bagwell (3-1) pitched a five-hit complete game. The freshman struck out four and did not allow a walk. MacLean (1-1) took the loss with two earned runs and five hits in 6.0 innings.
Bucknell will wrap up its first weekend of play tomorrow at 12 p.m. The Bison will take on James Madison, which they defeated 4-0 in their first game on Friday.
