Bucknell University
Lafayette
Bucknell Baseball Opens Patriot League Schedule with Doubleheader Split Against Lafayette
4/2/2011 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 2, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Matt Lamore was 4-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs and three extra base hits and Bob Donato was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs as the Bucknell baseball team recorded 15 hits in game two of Saturday's doubleheader against Lafayette at Depew Field and defeated the Leopards 11-2, earning a split of the twinbill. The Bison dropped the seven-inning game one by an 11-5 margin despite a late comeback.
Each of the nine hitters in the game two starting lineup posted at least one hit and Bucknell (12-14, 1-1 PL) scored at least one run in six of its final seven at bats to tie for its second-largest victory margin of the year. The Bison posted six extra-base hits, including three by Lamore, who reached base in all five of his plate appearances.
While the Bucknell offense reached double-figures in runs for the second time in the last seven games, two-time Patriot League Pitcher of the Week Ryan Ebner (4-1) was on the mound holding the Leopards in check after a somewhat rocky first inning.
Ebner saw his 22.0 consecutive scoreless inning streak come to an end in the top of the first when he gave up a two-run, two-out home run to cleanup hitter A.J. Miller. However, he started a new streak by pitching 6.1 shutout innings the rest of the way, departing after the seventh inning with the Bison holding a comfortable 9-2 lead. Ebner yielded just five hits, three after the first inning, and walked four while striking out six. His season ERA dipped to 4.58 and he has allowed just two runs in his last 28.1 innings.
Alex Cillo pitched the final two innings for Bucknell, and after walking the first two hitters, he retired six in a row to extend his streak to 13.0 innings without an earned run allowed.
Five of the Bison's six extra-base hits in game two knocked in runs as Lamore had RBI doubles in the second and fifth innings and hit a solo home run that stayed just fair down the right field line leading off the seventh. Donato had a two-out RBI triple in the fifth that landed just fair in short right field and then rolled into foul territory and Gerry Runyan had a two-run double in the fourth.
Lafayette (7-15, 1-1 PL) used four pitchers in game two, with starter Ethan Perro (1-2) earning the loss. He allowed eight hits, six runs and walked four in 3.1 innings.
Bucknell sent at least six hitters to the plate in six of its eight plate appearances, and was sent down 1-2-3 just once.
Lafayette had the hot bats early in game one as it scored in each of the first four innings to take a 7-0 lead before the Bison even managed their first hit off starter Zach Fritz (2-2).
Bucknell made a comeback thanks to the long ball as Scott Reed's two-run home run in the fourth was the first hit of the game.
The very next inning (5th) doubles by Travis Clark and Donato separated by an out and then a two-run home run by Doug Shribman made it 7-5. It was the ninth home run of the season for Shribman, who already owns Bucknell's career home run standard (36). The two RBIs moved him into a tie for fourth place in program history (128).
The Bison had a chance to score two more runs and tie the game in the bottom of the sixth as David Duffett led off with a double down the left field line. Pinch hitter Brett Ashley was then hit by a pitch on an 0-and-2 count. Clark bunted them over to scoring position, giving Bucknell two cracks at scoring the tying run (pinch runner Chet Otis) from second on a single. However, reliever Sean McGrath retired ninth-place hitter Robb Scott and Donato to get out of the jam.
Lafayette tacked on four insurance runs in the top of the seventh and then McGrath retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame to nail down his first save of the year.
Reed, who along with Donato, has a team-best six-game hitting streak, was 2-for-4 in game one. However, Bucknell managed just six hits in the contest, compared to 12 for the Leopards. Miller was 3-for-4, while leadoff hitter Rob Froio and No. 2 hitter Brian Davila both posted two hits as the top four hitters in the Lafayette lineup were 7-for-15 with seven runs scored and five RBIs.
A total of five Bucknell pitchers saw action in game one. Dylan Seeley (1-4) was tagged with the loss after pitching 3.0 innings and allowing six runs on five hits while walking an uncharacteristic four hitters.
Bucknell and Lafayette combined to leave 36 runners on base in the doubleheader. The Leopards left 10 men on base each game.
The Bison and Lafayette will meet in another doubleheader Sunday at noon at Depew Field.
