Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
La Salle
Bucknell Softball Splits with La Salle with 4-1 Win on the Road
4/27/2011 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 27, 2011
PHILADELPHIA - Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) struck out a season-high eight batters and Alison Ford (Suisun City, Calif./Fairfield) extended her hitting streak to 13 games as Bucknell softball defeated La Salle 4-1 (6 inn.) in a nightcap at the West Campus Field on Wednesday. The win brought the Bison (13-33) out of their slide that included a 1-0 loss in the first game of the day against the Explorers (3-34).
Despite having the game end after six innings, MacLean recorded some of her best numbers of the season in the pitcher's circle. The sophomore got seven of her the first nine outs of the game on strikeouts, and all eight of her punch-outs came in just the first four innings. By the end of the contest, she had improved her season total to 110, which ranks second all-time at Bucknell behind Christie Wiest who recorded 122 strikeouts in 2007. MacLean also became just the fifth Bison to surpass 200 career strikeouts with 202.
MacLean (7-17) allowed just one run on four hits and did not walk a batter in 6.0 innings of work. She got some much-deserved offensive support from her teammates who tagged the Explorers' Laura B. McCreesh for three earned runs on eight hits. McCreesh (1-7) lasted just 3.1 innings.
After getting shutout in the first game, Bucknell struck early in the second outing. Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) reached on a fielder's choice in the second inning, joining Kasey Siegel (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) and Sam Rollandi (San Carlos, Calif./Notre Dame Belmont) to load the bases with two outs. Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) was the first to knock in a run, scoring Siegel with a single to center field.
Ford then assured herself of a 13th consecutive game with at least one hit by doubling to center to score two more and give Bucknell a 3-0 lead. The hit was one of several milestones for Ford who is now second at Bucknell in career runs batted in (98), third in single-season hits (56) and seventh in both single-season (12) and career (31) doubles.
Bucknell added an insurance run in the fourth as Rollandi drew a walk and Fry and Dickson followed with back-to-back singles. That chased McCreesh from the game in favor of Kristen Paoletti, but the Explorers' defense did not support the change immediately. Rollandi scored on a passed ball. Paoletti then walked Ford to load the bases before the end of the inning.
Ford drew two walks in each of the games against La Salle. By the time play was called, the senior had combined in the two contests for 2-for-2 with four walks.
La Salle's only offensive damage came in the sixth inning. Liz Reed and Megan Hodgson connected for back-to-back two-out doubles. Hodgson's shot plated Reed to make the score 4-1.
La Salle also managed just one run in the first game of the day, but the difference in outcomes was Bucknell's inability to score. The lone dent in the scoreboard came in the sixth inning. The Bison made the first two outs quickly, but a fielding error on the shortstop put Breanna DiTommaso on first. Reed knocked in DiTommaso with an RBI single.
Bucknell totaled just three hits - all singles - in the outing. Dickson recorded her base hit in the first inning, while Ford's came in the fourth. Fry singled in the sixth inning, giving the Bison what turned out to be their best opportunity of the game. Ford followed Fry's two-out hit with a walk, and both players advanced on a wild pitch. Sophia Geraci (East Moriches, N.Y./Westhampton Beach) drew her second walk of the game to load the bases, but Laura Sandford (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt) flew out to left field to end the inning without a run.
The 1-0 decision snapped the Explorers' 27-game losing streak. All three of their wins this season have been shutouts, including 5-0 over Lafayette and 1-0 over Bryant.
DJ Guinn (2-13) earned the win for La Salle, allowing three hits in her shutout. She struck out nine and walked four in 7.0 innings.
Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) took the loss, dropping her record to 6-16 despite not allowing an earned run. Although she has only one victory in her last three appearances, Gates has registered an ERA of 0.37. On Wednesday the sophomore struck out five and gave up eight hits.
Bucknell has just one more series remaining in the regular season. The Bison will head to West Point, N.Y., for a four-game series with Army this weekend with major postseason implications. Bucknell must win at least three games to have a chance of qualifying for the Patriot League Tournament in May.
