Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Softball Travels to Delaware State for Three-Team Tournament
3/23/2012 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 23, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Back north after a week in Florida, Bucknell softball will take on Delaware State and Cornell at the Hornets' Sean Savage Epilepsy Awareness Tournament at Dover, Del., on Saturday. The Bison (5-10), who won three of their final six contests at the Rebel Spring Games, will open play with the Big Red at 8:30 a.m., followed by Delaware State at 10:30 a.m. Sunday's action has been canceled due to rain in the forecast. Live stats will be available at DSUHornets.com.
When Bucknell and Cornell (8-8) square off on Saturday morning, it will be the 13th meeting in the overall series and the fifth in the last two years. The Bison and the Big Red played twice at last year's George Mason Tournament where they split decisions. Cornell began with a 3-0 win while Bucknell took the second, 4-1 in a game where the Bison recorded a then-season-best 11 hits. Cornell won both games a few weeks later at the Mount St. Mary's Tournament, 6-0 and 4-1.
In 2012, the Big Red have gone toe-to-toe with their opponents. In addition to its .500 record, Cornell is hitting .248 and keeping opponents at .246. The Big Red's ERA comes in at 2.88 with foes at 2.60. They are also 2-2 in their last four games, having lost a pair to Virginia Tech (6-2 and 8-4) before sweeping Liberty (7-0 and 7-4) on Thursday.
Delaware State heads into the weekend at 7-11-1 this spring. The Hornets are 2-1-1 in their last four games. They split with St. Joseph's, falling 10-0 in five innings and winning 5-4. They then defeated Delaware 3-0 and tied 5-5 when the game was called in the sixth due to darkness on Wednesday. As a team, Delaware State is hitting .217 and has an ERA of 5.05 this year.
Bucknell and Delaware State have met just once in series history. The Bison won 10-6 in Dover in 2002.
Bucknell will try to channel some of that offense from 10 years ago as they head into the weekend. The Bison's offensive production has been sluggish in 2012 with only Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) hitting better than .300 this season. The senior hit .522 at last week's Rebel Spring Games, improving her average from .182 to a team-best .412. While starting all eight contests at catcher, Dickson tallied five multi-hit games, recorded her first career triple vs. Howard and three sacrifice bunts, and threw out five would-be base stealers.
Among the other highlights from Bucknell's trip to Florida was a 2-1 week for Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall) in the pitchers' circle. The junior's wins came against Columbia (6-0) and Saint Peter's (5-2) after she earned her first career save against Howard. She closed out the week with a 2.28 ERA, having not allowed an earned run in three of her six appearances, and 13 strikeouts.
After blanking Columbia, Gates is now tied for fifth all-time with six career shutouts. She also moved up to 10th in career wins (20), two behind Melanie Kulis in ninth, and seventh in career strikeouts (169). With 230 strikeouts, Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) is four shy of taking over fourth place in the career rankings.
When Bucknell closed out March 15 with a 5-2 win over Saint Peter's, it put another notch in its milestone belt. The matchup marked the 1,200th game in program history. Heading into the weekend at Delaware State, Bucknell is 526-671-7 all-time.
Bucknell has one more tune-up before starting Patriot League play. The Bison will head to Philadelphia to take on Drexel in a doubleheader on March 28. They will then prepare to host Colgate in their home opener at Charles & Karen Becker Field in a four-game series starting March 31.
Sean Savage Epilepsy Awareness Tournament Schedule
Saturday, March 24
8:30 a.m. – Bucknell vs. Cornell
10:30 a.m. – Delaware State vs. Bucknell
12:30 p.m. – Delaware State vs. Cornell
Sunday, March 25
Canceled
