Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Youngstown State
Bucknell Softball Shut Out in Rebel Spring Games Finale
3/16/2012 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 16, 2012
| BUY PHOTOS | BUY PHOTOS
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Bucknell softball did not get the finish it was looking for as it wrapped up competition at the Rebel Spring Games on Friday afternoon. The Bison (5-10) fell 5-0 to Wagner and 9-0 in five innings to Youngstown State at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex. Bucknell will now look to Delaware State's Sean Savage Epilepsy Awareness Tournament set for next weekend.
Bucknell was held to five total hits on Friday, while the Seahawks and the Penguins combined for 18. The combination of a sluggish offense and a less-than-confident defense handed the Bison their second and third shutouts of the Spring Break trip.
Against Wagner, Meredith Dickson went 2-for-3 at the plate, breaking up Judy Betz' no-hitter bid in the fourth inning. The senior singled to the left side, but was thrown out on a fielder's choice in the Bison's next at-bat. Bucknell did not get a runner in scoring position until the fifth when Laura Sandford singled down the left field line and advanced to second as Kathryn Wilkinson was hit by a pitch.
Bucknell's only other runner to advance past first base was Dickson in the sixth as she collected a second straight single. After hitting .522 (12-23) at the Rebel Spring Games this week, the Bison catcher now leads the team in batting average for the season at .412.
By the time Dickson gave Bucknell some offensive spark in the fourth inning, her team already trailed by three runs. Wagner's Ashley Olsen drilled a two-run home run in the second frame, and Jessica Albarran tallied an RBI double in the third to give them the lead.
Olsen and Albarran combined to go 3-for-6 with a run and five RBI in the game. Albarran was also directly responsible for the Seahawks' final scores as she drove in two runs with a single up the middle in the fifth.
Alex MacLean lasted 1.1 innings in the pitchers' circle for the Bison before giving way to Bridget Gates. The duo combined to allow nine hits in the 5-0 loss. MacLean (2-7) totaled two strikeouts, while Gates had three.
By the end of the day, MacLean had pitched 4.1 innings across two games. She also earned the start opposite Youngstown State (11-5) and pitched three innings. She faced two batters in the fourth at which point Bucknell trailed 4-0. The Bison were unable to turn the tides, however, and the Penguins added five more runs in that fourth inning. Youngstown State sent 10 batters to the plate and recorded three hits and three walks to take the 9-0 lead.
Bucknell started the contest looking as if it might have better luck offensively after getting the leadoff batter on base in each of the first two innings. Mary Horton singled in the first and Colie Escobar earned a base-hit to kick off the second. The offense then went quiet until the fourth inning when Escobar and Courtney Conover drew back-to-back walks. Escobar eventually advanced to third base, but the shutout remained intact.
Bucknell finished the Rebel Spring Games with a 3-5 record. While Dickson hit better than .500, Horton came in at .346 (9-26). Her five runs scored was a team best. Dickson and Mallory Lyons also shared the team lead with three RBI apiece. Defensively, Gates was 2-1 with one save in the circle. She pitched 27.2 innings in six appearances, threw two complete games and a shutout, and finished with a 2.28 ERA.
The Bison will pick up competition again next weekend at Delaware State. They will begin with Cornell at 11 a.m. on March 24, followed by Delaware State at 3 p.m.
