Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Elon
MacLean Shuts Out Elon to Give Bucknell Softball 2-0 Season-opening Win
2/18/2012 7:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 18, 2012
ELON, N.C. - Behind a three-hit shutout from Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area), Bucknell softball opened its season with a 2-0 victory over Elon at the Phoenix Softball Clash on Saturday afternoon. Mallory Lyons (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) and Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) also recorded multi-hit games to lead the Bison (1-0) offensively. Bucknell will continue play at 4:15 p.m. against Presbyterian and 6:30 p.m. against James Madison later today.
MacLean went 3.2 innings before giving up her first hit of the day. It turned out to be a double, but the Elon (5-1) runner could get no farther on the base paths. The Phoenix stranded five runners on base during the game.
By the final pitch, MacLean (1-0) had struck out five batters. She did not allow a walk in her complete game.
Lyons started the scoring for Bucknell with a double in the third inning. She was replaced on the bases by pinch runner Caryn Connors (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township), who advanced to third on a groundout and eventually scored on a fielding error by the Elon third baseman. The unearned run gave Bucknell a 1-0 advantage.
Elon committed five errors on the day. One of those miscues from an infielder also started the Bison's offensive push in the sixth inning. Kristen Zahn (Readington, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) reached on the shortstop's error to lead off the inning, and Colie Escobar (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) followed with an outfield single. They both moved up one base on the left fielder's throw.
Zahn was thrown out at home on the next at-bat, but Escobar gave Bucknell the two-run lead. The freshman scored on a two-out RBI single courtesy of Horton.
Lyons finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and a single in the first inning. Horton was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles to center field.
Elon's Caitlin O'Shea (1-1) took the loss in the pitchers' circle. She allowed one earned run and walked two in 5.0 innings pitched. Tomeka Watson then gave up two hits in 2.0 innings of relief. Neither pitcher earned a strikeout as the Phoenix saw their five-game winning streak come to a close.
In addition to the two games scheduled for later today, Bucknell is also slated for another 11:45 a.m. game against Elon tomorrow, weather permitting.
