Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy
Bucknell Baseball Offense Explodes for 15 Runs to Earn Second Straight Doubleheader Split at Navy
4/18/2011 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2011
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Travis Clark posted a pair of four-hit games and was 8-for-10 overall and Drew Constable drove in a career-high seven runs in game two as the Bucknell baseball team split a second straight doubleheader Monday afternoon at Navy's Max Bishop Stadium. The Bison equaled their season high with 15 runs and registered a season-high 19 hits in the nightcap, winning 15-7 over the Mids to earn the split. Navy captured a back-and-forth game one that featured three lead changes, 6-5, in extra innings.
Bucknell's game-two offense was the key to the doubleheader split for the Bison, who are now 16-22 overall and 4-8 in Patriot League play after earning their first split of a four-game league series this year.
Clark and freshman catcher Justin Meier had four hits apiece in the nightcap, while David Duffett (3-for-6), Gerry Runyan (2-for-5), Constable (2-for-5) and Matt Lamore (2-for-4) gave Bucknell six players with multi-hit game twos. Constable hit a three-run home run and a two-run double, drew a bases-loaded walk and drove in a run on a ground out, doubling his season RBI total from seven to 14 and coming within one of Bucknell's single-game RBI record.
The Bison scored in six of the nine innings in game two and led 8-3 after three innings thanks to a six-run second inning. Their 19 hits were their most since recording 20 in an 18-8 victory at Lafayette last April 4.
Constable's three-run home run capped the scoring in the six-run second inning that also featured an RBI single by seventh-place hitter Clark and a two-run single by ninth-hole hitter Scott Glass. The bottom third of the order - Clark, Meier and Glass - finished 9-for-13 with seven RBIs.
Navy (22-16, 7-5 PL) scored three runs in the bottom of the second, but never came closer as Bucknell led by an 11-3 margin halfway through.
The Mids used five pitchers in the contest with only one pitching more than two innings. Taylor Cato (2-1) suffered the loss, giving up five runs and four hits before getting knocked out during the high-scoring second inning.
Jack Boehm (3-2) earned the win for the Bison, yielding six runs and seven hits in 5.1 innings. Relievers Lamore (2.2 IP) and Steve Carlin (1.0 IP) pitched the final 3.2 innings and allowed just one run and two hits.
Bucknell had a good start in the scheduled seven-inning game one, plating three runs in the top of the first. The first three hitters in the frame Constable (walk), David Duffett (single) and Doug Shribman (walk) reached and later scored on a two-run single by Runyan and a sac fly by Bob Donato, staking starter Trey Frahler to an early cushion.
Navy came back with a run in the second on a sac fly and three in the third to take its first lead. An RBI single by Jonathan Wright in the third inning tied the score and knocked Frahler from the contest. The Mids added the go-ahead run when the next hitter, Jeff Bland, doubled off reliever Marcus Garone.
The Bison had three hits and scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fifth to go back on top, 5-4.
Navy evened the score in the bottom of the inning on a two-out single by Wright.
Mids reliever Preston Gainey retired Bucknell in order in the sixth and seventh, while Alex Cillo set down six of the seven hitters he faced in the same innings, sending the game to the eighth.
Clark had a one-out double in the top of the eighth. However, the Bison could not capitalize as Constable struck out and Duffett flew out following an intentional walk to Glass.
It took Navy just five pitches in the bottom of the eighth to score the winning run as Josh Moore had a one-out double to right and Nick Driscoll followed with a walk-off single up the middle on an 0-1 count.
Cillo (1-1), who pitched 2.2 scoreless innings on Sunday, pitched 3.1 innings Sunday and allowed five hits and just the winning run. It snapped a streak of more than 24 innings without allowing an earned run for Cillo.
Joel Rinehart (2-1) earned the win for Navy by retiring Constable and Duffett in the top of the eighth.
Entering Monday's play, only one Bison (Lamore) had posted a four-hit game this year. With Clark's two four-hit outings and Meier's 4-for-4 performance, Bucknell has now seen four four-hit performances this season.
The Bison, who are in the midst of seven games in four days, will host St. Bonaventure in a doubleheader Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Depew Field.
