Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Towson
Bucknell Baseball Falls to Towson in Back-and-Forth Game, 10-8
4/10/2012 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 10, 2012
TOWSON, Md. -Matt Busch hit his first career home run, a grand slam in the fourth inning, and Bob Donato was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, but Bucknell's defense committed four errors that led to six unearned runs as the Bison baseball team lost to Towson, 10-8, Tuesday afternoon at Schuerholz Park. The game was close throughout as the score was tied five times and the lead changed hands four times. The Tigers broke an 8-8 tie with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Five of Bucknell's (16-18) eight hits in the game went for extra bases as Donato, David Duffett, Scott Glass and Rob Krentzman posted doubles. All five of the extra-base hits came in the third, fourth and fifth innings when the Bison scored all eight of their runs.
The middle innings featured plenty of scoring as Towson (16-16) plated four runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth. The Tigers 5-6-7 hitters each posted two hits in the game and Peter Bowles' four RBIs were a career high. His two-out, two-run double in the seventh off Jack McLinden (1-1) proved to be the difference.
Towson finished the game with eight hits to match the Bison, but Bucknell pitchers issued 10 walks. The Tigers left 12 runners on base.
Jack Boehm started for the Bison and held Towson to one run and two hits in 2.0 innings, but he walked three hitters.
Bucknell got on the board in the third inning when it capitalized on a pair of walks. After Russell Seidell and Robb Scott reached base on balls, Donato doubled down the right-field line, driving both in and upping his season RBI total to a team-high 29.
The Bison lead was short-lived as Towson scored four in the bottom of the frame, three of which were unearned.
Bucknell came right back in the top of the fourth and took a 6-5 lead when Busch hit a one-out grand slam to left. Glass, Krentzman and Seidell all scored on the home run.
The lead changed hands again in the bottom of the fourth when the Tigers capitalized on a pair of Bison errors and scored three more unearned runs to go up 8-6.
A sacrifice fly by Glass and an RBI double by Krentzman in the fifth tied the score up for the fifth time in the game, this time at 8-8.
The score remained 8-8 until the seventh when Bowles hit his two-out, two-run double to plate what proved to be the winning runs.
Bucknell did threaten in the ninth when Donato led off with a single and then Brett Ashley was hit by a pitch. A sac bunt by Will Mooney moved them into scoring position, but Tyler Austin got Glass to hit into a 1-4-6 double play to end it. Austin earned his second save of the year by pitching a scoreless final two innings.
The Bison had their leadoff hitter on in six of the nine innings, including six of the final seven, but drove him home only three times. Bucknell was also hurt by double plays in each of the final two innings.
Towson reliever Kyle Paul earned the win to even his record at 1-1 on the year. He yielded four hits and two runs while striking out four and not walking a hitter in three innings.
Freshman reliever Jordan Holtz had the best outing among Bison pitchers, retiring all three hitters he faced in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Bucknell will be back in action this weekend when they host Lehigh in a Patriot League series at Depew Field. Retiring head coach Gene Depew will be honored prior to Saturday's doubleheader, while the 10 Bison seniors will be recognized during Senior Day ceremonies on Sunday.
