Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Bucknell Baseball Swept by Lafayette, 5-2 & 6-3
4/3/2011 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 3, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell baseball team totaled 17 hits in Sunday's doubleheader against Lafayette at Depew Field, but the Leopards posted a sweep of the Bison, winning 5-2 and 6-3. Lafayette received solid starting pitching and a two-run home run in each game to take three out of four games in the weekend series.
Bucknell's (12-16, 1-3 PL) offensive stars were Gerry Runyan, who was 5-for-9 with three RBIs in the doubleheader, and David Duffett, who was 4-for-8 with one run scored. That duo accounted for more than half of the Bison's 17 hits.
Bucknell never led in either contest as the Leopards got on the board in the top of the second in both games.
Lafayette (9-15, 3-1 PL) registered 16 hits in the doubleheader with Alex Bechta (2-for-5 in game two) and A.J. Miller (3-for-4 in game two) posting the only multi-hit games.
A two-out, two-run home run by Bobby Farnogli in the second inning of game one staked the Leopards to an early lead.
Bucknell had a chance to tie the score in the bottom of the second when Robb Scott singled to center with the bases loaded. Duffett scored from third, but Russell Seidell got a late jump from second and stopped at third after he saw the throw to home would have beaten him. Travis Clark rounded second too far and got caught in a rundown before getting tagged for the second out of the inning.
Lafayette responded with three more runs in the third. Rob Froio and Brian Davila had back-to-back doubles to left. Then, a hard-hit ball to second by Miller scored Davila with the second run of the inning. A sacrifice fly by Matt Fenster rounded out the scoring.
Trey Frahler (1-5) started on the mound for the Bison and pitched all seven innings. He allowed just two hits and three baserunners overall after the three-run third inning. In five of his seven innings no more than one runner reached base. He finished with six hits allowed (four in the second and third innings), five runs, three earned runs, two walks and one strikeout.
Leopards starter John Gentile (1-4) was a little better than Frahler, holding Bucknell to just two runs on eight hits while striking out seven en route to his second complete game of the year. He retired nine in a row after the second-inning single by Scott that put the Bison on the board.
Bucknell added on a run in the bottom of the seventh of the seven-inning game when Clark led off with a single through the left side and later scored on a two-out single by Runyan, who was 3-for-4 in the contest.
In game two, Lafayette scored single runs in the second and third innings and then extended its lead to 4-0 on a two-run home run by Miller in the sixth. It was his second home run of the series and his seventh of the year.
The Bison, who had at least one baserunner in each of the first five innings and left the bases loaded in the fifth, finally got on the board in the sixth with three runs. Back-to-back hits by freshmen Brett Ashley and Justin Meier set up a sac fly opportunity for Clark, who delivered. Two hitters later a double by Runyan into the left field corner brought home two more runs, making the score 4-3.
A seventh-inning double by Duffett was the only other hit the Bison would manage the rest of the way against relievers Sean McGrath (2-2) and Jeff Snell, who earned the save by pitching a hitless ninth.
Bucknell still trailed just 4-3 entering the ninth inning, but Lafayette ended up adding two insurance runs in a roller-coaster frame. The Leopards loaded the bases and scored a run on a bases-loaded, no-out walk by Steve Carlin to go up 5-3. Russell Seidell then relieved Carlin and got a ground ball to second base with the infield drawn in. Clark immediately threw home to get the lead runner and then the catcher Meier fired to first, but his throw hit Bechta in the back, allowing all runners to advance one more base and another run to cross the plate. However, the umpires conferred and ruled that Bechta was inside the baseline and he was called out, nullifying the run, giving the Bison a chance to head to the bottom of the ninth facing just a two-run deficit.
After an intentional walk to Miller, Brad Hopek singled, scoring one more run before Davila was gunned down at home by center fielder Bob Donato for the third out.
Jack Boehm (2-1) started game two for the Bison and kept the team in the game, going 5.2 innings and allowing seven hits, four runs and one walk while striking out five. Alex Cillo relieved him and was effective closing out the sixth and pitching a scoreless seventh. He extended his consecutive innings without an earned run allowed to 14.2.
Michael Massa started for Lafayette, but was removed with an injury one out shy of going the five innings needed for the win. He left with the Leopards ahead 2-0 after striking out five and yielding five hits.
Bucknell will be back in action Tuesday when it hosts Marist in a non-league game at Depew Field at 3:30 p.m.
