Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Green Bay
Offensive Woes Mount Up as Bucknell Softball Falls to Green Bay, Youngstown State
3/18/2011 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 18, 2011
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Bucknell softball continued to struggle offensively, taking losses to Green Bay, 8-1, and Youngstown State, 9-2, at the Osceola Softball Complex on Saturday. The Bison (4-16) recorded their runs early but were unable to hold on down the stretch as they dropped their fifth game in six tries.
Bucknell never really got off the ground against Green Bay. Although the Bison put up a run in the bottom of the first inning, the Phoenix tied it up in the top of the second and then pulled ahead for good in the third. Pitcher Katie Cooney did much of the damage for Green Bay. Not only did the hurler not allow an earned run in the game, she also connected for two home runs that resulted in six RBI.
Cooney's first shot came in the third with the Phoenix already leading 2-1 thanks to a leadoff homer from Kendra Woepse. Cooney made it 4-1 with a shot to center field. Nothing came of her double in the fifth inning, but a grand slam in the seventh put the game securely out of reach for Bucknell.
Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) gave up the first two home runs of the game. Cooney's first chased the Bison pitcher from the game, bringing Courtney Conover (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) into the game in relief to get the final two outs of the third inning.
Conover faced just one batter over the minimum until the seventh inning. Three of the first four batters reached base in that frame, setting the stage for the grand slam. MacLean took the loss, falling to 2-10 on the year. She gave up three earned runs on four hits and did not strike out a batter in 2.1 innings of work. Conover went 4.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits.
Offensively for Bucknell, Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) drew a leadoff walk. She eventually came home on an RBI single off the bat of Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) for the Orange and Blue's short-lived lead.
The second game of the day looked much like the first. Bucknell took a brief lead against Youngstown State in the fourth inning, but the Penguins put up some big runs shortly after to take a significant lead.
The Bison pulled ahead 2-1 in the fourth as Kathryn Wilkinson (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) reached on a fielder's choice and Conover and Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) followed with singles. That loaded the bases for Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Southern Lehigh), who doubled to left field to score Wilkinson and Conover. A pitching change for the Penguins from Hana Somogyi to Casey Crozier stemmed the tied after Crozier recorded a fly out and a strikeout to end the inning.
Youngstown State tied things up in the bottom of the inning, then erupted for three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth. The Penguins connected for three consecutive singles in the fifth frame, the third coming from Vicky Rumph that scored two of her teammates. That continued in the next inning as three singles and a triple put Youngstown State in front 8-2. A pinch hitting Sarah Ingalls scored Jordan Ingalls with another base hit off reliever MacLean, putting the final run on the board.
Dickson and Ford both hit 2-for-4 at the plate against the Penguins. Doing them one better was Rumph, who went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI. The Penguins finished with 12 hits as a team.
Crozier (8-4) earned the win after not allowing a run and giving up one hit in 3.2 innings of relief. Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) took the loss. Gates (2-6) gave up seven earned runs on 11 hits. She lasted 5.1 innings before handing control to MacLean, who recorded the final two outs.
Bucknell has one more day left on its Spring Break schedule. The Bison will take on Fairleigh Dickinson (9 a.m.) and Hartford (1 p.m.) tomorrow at the Osceola Softball Complex.
