Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Akron
Big Innings Power Bucknell Softball to Split on Day Two of Rebel Spring Games
3/16/2011 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 16, 2011
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) hit .625 and Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central) went .571 with three RBI at the plate to lead Bucknell softball to a split against Akron and St. Peter's at the Rebel Spring Games on Wednesday afternoon. The Bison (4-14) began the day with an 8-6 loss to the Zips despite a late comeback bid, then bounced back for a shortened 8-0 victory in six innings over the Peacocks.
Ford got things going with a 3-for-4 outing against Akron that included a run in the sixth inning when the Bison nearly erased a six-run deficit. She also scored in the contest against St. Peter's where she was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Both runs batted in opposite the Peacocks gave Bucknell an 8-0 advantage in the sixth inning. That gave the Bison the lead they needed to call it an early day.
Most of the damage was done in the third inning when Bucknell sent 10 batters to the plate. The Bison connected for four singles and along with an error by the Peacocks' second baseman and a hit-by-pitch, Bucknell put four runs on the board.
By the end of the third frame, the Orange and Blue led 5-0 and had knocked St. Peter's starting pitcher from the game. Erica Colon lasted just 2.1 innings and allowed four earned runs on three hits. The hurler, who ended up with the loss, walked three and did not record a strikeout.
Bucknell finished the game with eight runs on nine hits, while St. Peter's was shut out on four hits. The Bison's Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) kept the Peacocks at bay. After walking the game's leadoff batter, Gates settled down. She did not allow another walk for the remainder of the contest and struck out a season-best six batters. Gates (2-5) earned the win with her first shutout of the year.
Bucknell's offense broke open late in the game with Akron when it had its first big inning of the tournament. After finding themselves trailing 6-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Bison put five runs on the board. The Orange and Blue sent 11 batters to the plate and recorded seven singles in the frame to break up Alex Riedeman's shutout.
Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) led off the inning with a single to right field. The next three batters - Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Southern Lehigh), Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) and Ford - each followed with their own base-hits, scoring one and loading the bases. Three more consecutive RBI singles from Colmenero, Mallory Lyons (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) and Courtney Conover (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) brought the score to 6-4 with the bases still full of Bison.
In her second appearance of the inning, Snyder drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Bucknell within a single run. The frame finally ended with a groundout and the Akron lead down to 6-5.
Bucknell could get no closer. The Zips got two runs back in the top of the seventh inning thanks to a pair of singles and an error. One more run for Bucknell in the bottom of the inning was not enough for a complete comeback. By the end of the contest, the Bison had six runs on 12 hits, compared to eight runs on 11 hits for Akron.
Riedeman, who left the game early in the sixth inning and returned later the same inning after Alissa Berkhimer failed to retire the two batters she faced, earned the win. At the final pitch, Riedeman had gone 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits. Birkhimer, who homered in the first inning as the first baseman, gave up two runs and faced two batters without getting an out. Andrea Arney eventually earned the save, working 1.2 innings of relief. She allowed one run on one hit and walked two.
Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) took the loss and saw her record drop to 2-9 on the year. After 4.1 innings in the circle, Akron had six runs on the board, but only three of them were earned. MacLean gave up eight hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Conover finished the game with 2.2 innings in relief. Only one of the two runs scored while she was in the circle was earned.
Bucknell will return from its off day for a pair of contests on Friday. The Bison start with Green Bay at 11 a.m. and finish the outing with a 3 p.m. game against Youngstown State.
