Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Jacksonville State
Bucknell Baseball Ends Florida Trip with 9-1 Loss to Jacksonville State
3/19/2011 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2011
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Bucknell baseball team wrapped up its weeklong trip to Florida on Saturday with a 9-1 loss to Jacksonville State at Chain of Lakes Park. The Gamecocks scored four runs in the sixth inning and five more in the ninth to overcome an early 1-0 Bison lead. Bucknell finished the seven-game trip with a 4-3 record and is now 8-10 this year.
Jacksonville State (14-5) scored all nine of its runs and recorded eight of its 11 hits in the sixth and ninth innings. Cleanup hitter Sam Eberle was 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and two runs scored, while fifth-place hitter Ben Waldrip was 2-for-5 with three RBIs as the middle of the Gamecocks lineup did the majority of the damage.
Bucknell totaled eight hits in the contest, but just one of those - a seventh-inning leadoff single by Robb Scott - came after the third inning.
The Bison scored their lone run in the first inning when leadoff hitter Bob Donato singled, stole second, and later scored on a two-out single by Scott Reed.
Bucknell threatened in the second, leaving the bases loaded, and again in the third, when it had runners on first and third with one out, but was unable to push more runs across.
Dylan Seeley (1-3) started on the mound for the Bison and was effective for the first five innings, allowing just three hits and no runs over that span. He faced just two over the minimum and it appeared as though he would have a chance at posting a third consecutive start allowing one earned run or less. However, Jacksonville State sent eight hitters to the plate in the sixth and scored four runs off Seeley on back-to-back two-run doubles by Eberle and Waldrip.
Bucknell used five pitchers over the final three innings. Taylor Runge worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, but Steve Carlin and Russell Seidell were touched for five runs in the ninth before Matt Lamore came in to record the final out.
Aaron Elias started for Jacksonville State and improved to 3-0 this year. He yielded eight hits and struck out eight in his 7.0 innings of work. Ben Haynes pitched the final 2.0 innings and struck out the final five hitters he faced. The Gamecocks totaled 13 strikeouts and no walks, while Bison pitchers walked eight and struck out eight.
Reed and Scott were both 2-for-4 to pace the Bucknell offense. Reed has now hit in four straight games, tying Drew Constable for team-high honors.
The Bison finished their seven-game Florida trip with a 2.81 team ERA, 57 strikeouts and zero home runs allowed. Bucknell hitters finished the trip with a .251 batting average as the Bison outscored their opponents 36-26.
After playing its first 18 games away from home, Bucknell will now play 11 of its next 13 at Depew Field. The Bison's home opener is Wednesday, March 23, at 3 p.m. vs. Mount St. Mary's. That contest will begin a five-game homestand.
