Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Binghamton
Bucknell Baseball Splits Home Doubleheader with Binghamton
3/27/2012 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 27, 2012
| BUY PHOTOS
LEWISBURG, Pa. - A pitching duel between left-handed starters Russell Seidell and Mike Kaufman highlighted a 2-1 Bucknell victory in game one of Tuesday afternoon's baseball doubleheader between the Bison and Binghamton at sunny, but chilly, Depew Field. Game two produced more offense as the Bearcats claimed a 10-4 victory and earned a split of the twinbill.
Seidell (2-0), who last week carried a shutout into the ninth inning in a win at Mount St. Mary's, had his second consecutive strong start. He pitched a complete game (7.0 innings), struck out six, yielded seven hits and walked just one. Binghamton's (7-9) lone run against him came on a sacrifice fly in the sixth after Bucknell had already built a 2-0 lead.
Seidell is now 2-0 on the year with a team-best 2.57 ERA in 21.0 innings. The only baserunner to advance as far as third base against him on Tuesday was Jake Thomas, who led off the sixth with a double and later scored on Jordon Smucker's sac fly.
Kaufman, a freshman, was making his first career start and he nearly matched Seidell. He logged 4.1 innings and gave up five hits and struck out two. However, Bucknell (12-11) touched him for two runs in the fifth inning. Scott Reed and Robb Scott led off the frame with back-to-back doubles and a one-out Will Mooney single drove home Scott with what proved to be the winning run. Kaufman left the game after yielding the single to Mooney and relievers Greg Ostner and Chris Nagorski retired the final five hitters in the swiftly played 1 hour, 27 minute contest.
Scott collected two of his three hits on the day in the game-one victory. He now has an eight-game hitting streak and his average is up to .338 on the season. He already has six more hits (22) than he had in all of 2011.
After using a combined four pitchers in game one, the Bison and Bearcats combined to use 10 hurlers in game two. Bucknell relievers Matt Lamore, Jordan Holtz, Marcus Garone and Jack McLinden were charged with just one run in 5.1 innings of work, but Binghamton touched freshman starter Xavier Hammond (1-1) for five runs in the second inning and junior reliever Taylor Runge for four more in the sixth.
The Bison took the early lead in game two as Gerry Runyan led off with a single up the middle and came around to score on a David Duffett double. Duffett later scored on a balk by freshman Anthony Grillini (1-0). Grillini, though, settled down after that and limited the Bison to three more singles, two walks and a hit by pitch before departing after 5.0 innings of work.
Trailing 10-2, the Bison did begin to chip away at their deficit in the sixth as the first four hitters in the inning reached base against reliever Mark Palumbo, who did not record an out. Justin Meier got things started with a double and then scored on a Corey Furman single. A walk to Colby Vanderbeck loaded the bases and forced Binghamton to turn to Jed Lemen. He retired the next three hitters, although the Bison did tack on one more run on a sac fly by Runyan, who is fourth on the team with 14 RBIs this season.
Bucknell's first two hitters in the bottom of the seventh reached, but the Bison could not cut their deficit any further in the final inning.
Duffett, who did not play in game one, was 2-for-4 in game two as the Bison registered seven hits in the contest. He extended his hitting streak to four games and tied Bob Donato for the team lead in multi-hit games (11).
Bucknell will open Patriot League play this weekend when it hosts Holy Cross in a four-game series at Depew Field. First pitch both days is 12 p.m. Fans can listen to the entire series on 90.5 WVBU and SportsJuice.com.
