Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Penn State
Bucknell Baseball Has Three-Game Winning Streak Snapped at Penn State, 7-3
4/27/2011 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 27, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Aiming for its season-high fourth consecutive victory, the Bucknell baseball team traveled an hour west and faced Penn State Wednesday evening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Bison came away with a 7-3 loss despite keeping the Nittany Lions scoreless in six of their eight at bats.
Penn State (25-13), which won its third straight game, scored five runs in the second inning and held Bucknell to one run in the first eight frames.
The Bison used six pitchers in their sixth game in four days and allowed just eight hits in the contest, five of which came in that five-run second inning. Bucknell relievers Dan Weigel, Matt Lamore, Gabe Noyalis, Steve Carlin and Taylor Runge yielded just one earned run in 6.1 innings of work, lowering the Bison bullpen's ERA over the last 11 games to 2.11.
The big blow in the game for Penn State was a three-run home run in the second by Mario Eramo. Sean Deegan drove in a pair of runs on a second-inning single and when he reached on a fourth-inning error that helped plate the Nittany Lions' final run.
Bucknell (21-25), which left 11 runners on base, scored its first run in the seventh when Justin Meier led off with a triple and later scored on a ground out by Drew Constable.
The Bison tacked on two more unearned runs in the ninth against Penn State's sixth hurler, Heath Johnson, who was hurt by two errors behind him. Bob Donato drove in his 33rd run of the year on a sac fly, while Doug Shribman singled and later scored on an error by the left fielder on a ball hit by Colby Vanderbeck.
Gerry Runyan, who was 2-for-3 before being lifted for a pinch runner in the eighth, posted Bucknell's only multi-hit performance. Runyan now has a team-best 20 multi-hit games this season.
Marcus Garone (0-3) started for Bucknell on the mound and lasted just 1.2 innings.
Tim Dunn (1-0) started for the Nittany Lions and yielded just two hits and no runs in his 5.0 innings of work.
Bucknell will return home this weekend, April 30-May 1, for a four-game Patriot League series against Army. All four games can be heard on WVBU 90.5 and SportsJuice.com. Senior Day ceremonies will be held prior to Saturday's doubleheader.
