Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Howard
Bucknell Softball Tallies Back-to-Back Wins at Rebel Spring Games
3/13/2012 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 13, 2012
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Following an 8-6 win over Howard, Bucknell softball shut out Columbia 6-0 to win back-to-back games for the first time this season as it continued play at the Rebel Spring Games on Tuesday. Mary Horton and Meredith Dickson each tallied multi-hit games, and Alex MacLean and Bridget Gates both earned pitching victories to improve the Bison's record to 4-7 on the year.
Bucknell jumped out to an early 7-1 lead against Howard in a Bison vs. Bison battle. Each of the first six runs of the game, including the Orange and Blue's first five, were unearned.
Keeping the ball on the ground but finding the gaps in the defense, Bucknell sent eight batters to the plate in the second and third innings to take its six-run lead. Horton, who batted in each of the first three frames, reached base each time. The junior recorded two singles and reached on an error during that stretch. She also scored both of her two runs in the first half of the game.
Mallory Lyons also tallied two hits in each of her first three at-bats. She ultimately finished the game 2-for-4 with a run batted in. Horton was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Howard began to mount a bit of a comeback as the game wore on. The Bison from Washington, D.C., pulled to within 7-3 by the fourth inning. Dickson interrupted their progress as she drove in Caryn Connors with a two-out triple.
Dickson was 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI in the contest. After also hitting 2-for-3 at the plate later against Columbia, the senior improved her season batting average to a team-best .417.
Howard's offensive push continued into the fifth inning. After recording four singles in the fourth, it again loaded the bases in the fifth. Howard added three runs before MacLean got the third out.
The score of 8-6 was as close as Howard could get. MacLean retired the side in order in the sixth inning, and Gates earned her first career save after facing four batters in the seventh.
MacLean (2-4) ended her day with four earned runs on 10 hits. She struck out three and did not give up a walk in 6.0 innings of work. Gates pitched 1.0 inning and allowed one hit. Howard's Samantha Gatson took the loss after allowing three earned runs on eight hits. She struck out six and walked three in her complete game.
The victory over Howard snapped a six-game losing streak for Bucknell. The Orange and Blue continued its winning ways into the second game of the day where they earned their second shutout of the season, 6-0 over Columbia (2-9). It was the first time this season that Gates (1-3) blanked an opponent, but with six career shutouts, she is now tied for fifth in program history.
The Lions could not get the ball out of the infield in the first inning and went down in order. Jennifer Bergeron tripled to right field to lead off the second, but Gates recovered quickly, and Columbia couldn't bring Bergeron in. It wasn't until the fourth inning that the Lions sent more than four batters to the plate. That time they loaded the bases before Gates got out trouble by getting get Kalli Schultea to pop up to third.
By that time, Bucknell already had five runs on the board. All nine Bison batted in the bottom of the third inning and four of them recorded hits. The last came from Gates, who put one down the right field line with two outs that scored two teammates.
Bucknell tagged on an insurance run in the fourth after Horton and Dickson drilled back-to-back outfield singles. The pinch-running Cassie Greenhawk then stole second, and Horton scored as the Columbia catcher threw the ball into centerfield trying to catch Greenhawk.
Horton hit 2-for-4 with two runs against the Lions, while Gates was 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Columbia put just one more runner in scoring position in the top of the seventh inning, but no Lion made it past second base after the fourth. Gates secured the victory after giving up six hits and striking out three in the complete-game effort. It was just the third time in 11 meetings that Bucknell has defeated Columbia.
Brooke Darling (1-5) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on six hits in 3.0 innings. Schultea pitched the final 3.0 innings, giving up two hits. The Bison scored once on the reliever, but the run was unearned. Neither Lions pitcher recorded a strikeout.
Bucknell will return to action on Thursday to take on Nebraska-Omaha (9 a.m.) and Saint Peter's (11 a.m.) at Fortune Road in Kissimmee.
