Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Colgate
Bucknell Softball Loses Two at Colgate
4/10/2011 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 10, 2011
HAMILTON, N.Y. - Bucknell softball suffered its first Patriot League sweep, falling 9-0 (6 inn.) and 5-4 to Colgate at the Eaton Street Field on Sunday. The Bison (8-26, 1-7) briefly held a lead in game two, but the Raiders continued their power offense to maintain their perfect 8-0 league record.
Just as they did in the first day of the series, Colgate benefited from home runs at some opportune times. Just after Bucknell took a 3-2 lead in the second game of the day, the home team pulled back in front in the fifth as Tera Vaughn homered to left centerfield, which also scored Jennifer Ortega who had reached on an error.
The Bison had been trying to play catch-up in the contest. The Raiders took a 2-0 lead after four innings thanks in part to a fourth-inning home run from Stephanie Hartquist. It was Hartquist's third of the series after she hit one in each of yesterday's games.
Bucknell clawed its way back in the bottom of the fourth. Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) reach on an error to lead off the inning. After being sacrificed over by Mallory Lyons (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area), she scored on another error by the second baseman. Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) and Elyse Colmenero (Fresno, Calif./Central) recorded back-to-back doubles, putting Bucknell in front 3-2. After the two extra-base hits and some lucky breaks, the Bison ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts, ending their progress for a short time.
Things picked back up in the bottom of the seventh, but by that point, the Bison were down 5-3. Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) entered the game as pinch hitter and doubled to left centerfield. She came home a few batters later as Snyder grounded out to second. Bucknell ran out of time and took the 5-4 loss.
Colgate's two home runs in the finale brought their total to nine for the weekend. Hartquist led the way with three, while Vaughn, Emmi Dolfi and Nicole Siedhof each had two. Both of Siedhof's came in Sunday's opener, while her second shortened the game to six innings.
Siedhof's first at-bat ended in the second straight sacrifice fly for Colgate, giving them a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Raiders' scoring continued in the second as Dolfi led off the inning with a homer for 3-0 and in the third inning when Siedhof connected for a two-run home run for 6-0.
By the time Siedhof made another plate appearance in the sixth, Colgate's lead had reached seven runs. That only continued to grow to 9-0 with her second two-run shot of the day.
At the end of the contest, Siedhof was 2-for-2 with five RBI. Vaughn was 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Ortega finished at a 3-for-4 clip that also included three runs scored.
Bucknell put runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings but came up empty each time. The Bison mustered just six hits compared to 12 for the Raiders.
Rachel LeCoq (11-4) earned the game-one victory, while Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) took the loss. MacLean (4-12) allowed all nine runs on the dozen hits. She also struck out four and walked four.
The game-two decisions went to Courtney O'Connell and Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall). O'Connell (6-7) allowed two earned runs on seven hits. Gates (4-12) gave up three earned runs on eight hits in the 5-4 loss. Both pitchers struck out four batters.
Bucknell will try to right its ship on Wednesday, April 13. The Bison will host Saint Francis (Pa.) at 3 p.m. at Becker Field.
