Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
James Madison
Bucknell Baseball has Record-Breaking Day in Sweep of James Madison, 8-6 & 22-6
2/25/2012 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2012
HARRISONBURG, Va. - The Bucknell baseball team moved above .500 for the year on Saturday as it swept a doubleheader from James Madison by scores of 8-6 and 22-6. The Bison plated six runs in the sixth inning of the seven-inning game one to come back from a four-run deficit and followed that with 22 runs on 25 hits in the nightcap, coming within one of equaling the 25-year-old program single-game record in each category.
Center fielder Bob Donato keyed the offense as he was 6-for-12 with nine RBIs and four runs scored in the twinbill. David Duffett was 7-for-10 with six runs scored and five RBIs of his own as nine different Bison combined for a total of 12 multi-hit performances on Saturday.
Five Bucknell (3-2) relievers appeared in the doubleheader and they combined to pitch 5.2 innings and yield five hits and one earned run.
While the game one comeback was an exciting victory, it was the game two offensive explosion and strong starting pitching by Dan Weigel that really turned heads.
Weigel, who improved to 2-0, carried a no-hitter two outs into the sixth inning, enabling the offense to do its job and build a 13-0 advantage to that point. The tall lefty ended up pitching 7.1 innings and allowed just four hits, four runs, only three of which were earned, and struck out three. His ERA is a stellar 1.88 through two starts this season.
The Bison offense, which had innings of seven runs, six runs and four runs, came just shy of equaling the program record for runs (23) and hits (26) in a game, which both occurred in an April 1987 contest vs. Juniata. Each of Bucknell's nine starters recorded at least one hit, with Duffett's 5-for-6 performance leading the way. The 25 hits did tie a record for a James Madison opponent.
Donato, who had hits in six of his final nine at bats on the day, was 4-for-7 with two three-run home runs and eight RBIs in the 16-run victory. He tied the program record for RBIs in a game that was most recently accomplished by Frank Fresconi in 2000. He also posted his second career two-homer game and moved into a tie with Fresconi for sixth on the school's career list with 20.
Donato was not the only Bison to etch his name into the Bucknell record books as Carter Bumgardner recorded a program-record four doubles as he reached bask in six of his seven plate appearances thanks to a pair of hit by pitches. Additionally, Duffett tied the program record with two triples in a game and Donato, Travis Clark and Gerry Runyan each equaled the record for at bats in game with seven.
The top three hitters in the Bison batting order - Donato, Bumgardner and Duffett - in game two were a combined 13-for-18 with 13 RBIs and 11 runs scored. That trio reached base in 16 of their 21 plate appearances. The bottom two hitters in the order - Rob Krentzman and Justin Meier - also had three hits apiece.
Bucknell got things started with two runs in the first inning, but really broke the game open in the third when 12 hitters stepped to the plate and seven scored. The big blow in the frame was Donato's three-run homer to right-center.
The Bison didn't score again until the sixth when they plated four more runs, three of which came on another Donato three-run shot.
A single run in the seventh and two more in the eighth gave Bucknell a 16-1 advantage heading into the bottom of the eighth.
The Bison then tacked on six more runs in the top of the ninth as Donato and Bumgardner each posted a two-RBI double and Duffett knocked in a run with his second triple.
James Madison (2-4-1) used five pitchers in the contest. Starter Aaron Hoover (0-1) suffered the loss as he gave up eight runs and nine hits in 2.1 innings. Bucknell also touched the final reliever, Tyler Thornton, for nine runs on nine hits in his 3.0 innings of work to close the game.
Relievers Jack McLinden, Russell Seidell and Taylor Runge backed up Weigel and allowed one hit and no earned runs in 1.2 innings of work. The Dukes managed just five hits off Bison pitchers in the contest.
Game two was full of accomplishments for Bucknell, but game one had more tension as the Bison needed a six-run sixth inning for the victory. Like in game two, Bucknell jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but James Madison scored three in the bottom of the frame, two in the third and one more in the fourth to build a 6-2 advantage.
Bucknell threatened against both starter Patrick Toohers, who was pulled in the second inning after walking the bases loaded, and reliever Josh Futter (0-1). Futter, who allowed at least one baserunner in each of his first three full innings of work, bailed out Toohers by retiring the side in order in the second after entering with the bases loaded and none out.
The Bison comeback started with a leadoff double from catcher Scott Reed in the sixth. Matt Lamore followed with a single to knock in Reed, while a walk by Seidell and a single off the bat of Mark Figgie loaded the bases. Donato then knocked Futter from the game with an RBI single to make the score 6-4.
Two hitters later Duffett tied the score on a two-run single to left-center, while an RBI single by Clark gave Bucknell a 7-6 lead. Runyan followed with an RBI double, providing an insurance run that turned out to be unnecessary since Alex Cillo retired all five hitters he faced after entering the game in the bottom of the sixth to earn his fourth career save.
Clark finished with three hits in game one, while Donato, Duffett, Runyan and Reed also produced multi-hit outings. The Bison had 14 hits in game one, giving them 39 in the doubleheader.
Jack Boehm got the start for Bucknell and pitched 3.0 innings. He was touched for seven hits and five earned runs before giving way to freshman reliever Xavier Hammond. Hammond pitched an effective 2.0 innings and earned his first career victory.
The Bison entered Saturday's doubleheader having defeated James Madison just once in 22 all-time meetings.
Bucknell and James Madison will wrap up their four-game weekend series Sunday with a single game starting at 1 p.m. The Bison will be aiming for their first 4-2 start to a season since 2003.
Bucknell Records Tied or Set vs. James Madison
At Bats: 7, Travis Clark, Bob Donato, Gerry Runyan (tied record: 7, by 14 other players)
Doubles: 4, Carter Bumgardner (previous record: 3, by three players)
Triples: 2, David Duffett (tied record: 2)
Home Runs: 2, Bob Donato (tied record: 2)
RBI: 8, Bob Donato (tied record: 8, by three players)
RBI (team): 21 (tied record: 21, three other times)
