Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Ford Homers Twice but Bucknell Softball Drops Patriot League Openers to Lehigh
4/2/2011 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 2, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) drilled two home runs, but Bucknell softball dropped both games of its Patriot League opener with Lehigh, 2-1 and 7-5, at Becker Field on Saturday afternoon. Ford's shots came in her first at-bat of each contest to give the Bison (7-21, 0-2) brief leads, but the Mountain Hawks benefited from some shaky defense, earning the day-one sweep.
Ford finished the doubleheader hitting .667 (4-for-6) with four runs batted in. The senior's home runs were the first of the season by a Bison but far from the first of her career. Ford is now tied for third in Bucknell history with 12 career homers, equaling the Lisa Fink's and Charity Ford's career totals. She also has 83 career RBI, moving her into fifth in program annals.
The home run by Ford in game one was all that kept Bucknell from being shut out. Batting fourth in the order, Ford led off the second inning with a shot to left center field and put the Bison ahead 1-0.
That advantage held until the fifth inning. Bison pitcher Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) retired the Lehigh (15-13, 2-0) batters in order in each of the first three innings. The Mountain Hawks finally got their first hit in the fourth inning, but despite loading the bases with a walk and hit batter, they were unable to cross home plate after Gates got Carly Potock to strike out swinging.
The fifth inning proved to be more advantageous for Lehigh, however, as both runs came during that frame. The Mountain Hawks recorded a lead-off single, but the Bison retired the next two batters, looking like they would get out of the inning without any trouble. Bucknell then committed a fielding error that scored Tenley Halaquist to tie the game, and Alex Cueva took advantage of the extra opportunity, driving in the second run with a triple.
Bucknell eventually got out of the inning, but Lehigh had the 2-1 lead that it maintained through the end. The Bison managed just three more base runners for the rest of the game, but none of them advanced past second base.
One of those base runners was Ford, who singled in each of her two at-bats following the home run. She finished the opening game 3-for-3, accounting for half of Bucknell's six hits.
Gates (3-9) took the loss in the pitchers' circle after striking out a season-best seven batters and walking three. She did not allow an earned run on Lehigh's three hits. Rebecca Bliss (7-3) finished with the win. The Mountain Hawks' pitcher struck out four and walked one. Both pitchers recorded complete games.
Ford sparked the Bucknell offense for a second time to kick off the second game. A 1-0 Lehigh lead after the first half inning was quickly erased as Ford drilled her second home run to a nearly identical location in left center field. This time, however, the long hit also scored Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas), who had reached on a fielder's choice, and Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield), who had singled to shortstop.
The 3-1 lead for Bucknell last until the fourth inning when Lehigh started padding their extra-base hit stats. The Mountain Hawks recorded four hits in the inning, and three of them were doubles. The hitting spree resulted in three runs and a 4-3 lead for Lehigh.
More extra-base hits followed in the top of the fifth, when Lehigh claimed two doubles and a triple. Among the hard hits was the second consecutive double off the bats of both Liz Lucas and Potock. When the Mountain Hawks' offense finally cooled off, Lucas and Potock had combined to go 4-for-6 with two runs scored and three RBI.
Bucknell made a final offensive push in the bottom half of the fifth inning, but the Bison just couldn't make up enough ground. Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) and Horton led things off with back-to-back hits, the first for Bucknell since the second inning.
Both Bison scored soon after, drawing them to within a pair of runs at 7-5. Lehigh's Ashley Quigley regained her control soon after as well and did not give Bucknell another look. Horton represented the Bison's only offense in the final few innings, singling in the seventh. The sophomore was left standing on first to end the game as Bucknell took the two-run loss.
Horton and Snyder were the only Bison to record multi-hit performances in the second game. Both finished 2-for-4 and combined for three of the squad's runs.
Quigley (6-7) earned the win after allowing five runs on seven hits. She struck out just two in 7.0 innings, but also walked only one batter.
Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) took the loss after pitching 6.1 non-consecutive innings. The sophomore threw the first four innings before giving way to Courtney Conover (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) in the fifth. Conover recorded two outs before turning things back over to MacLean (4-12). MacLean finished with four runs on nine hits allowed. Conover gave up three runs on four hits.
Bucknell and Lehigh will square off for a second doubleheader tomorrow. Game one begins at 12 p.m.
