Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Holy Cross
Bucknell Softball Sweeps Holy Cross 4-2 & 3-2 in Extra Innings
4/21/2012 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 21, 2012
| BUY PHOTOS
LEWISBURG, Pa. - For the second day in a row, Bucknell softball got the better of Holy Cross in extra frames to claim a 3-2 victory in eight innings in game two at Becker Field on Saturday morning. Unlike Friday, however, the Bison also won the day's opener, 4-2. The success in the final series on their home field gave the Bison (9-32, 3-13 PL) three consecutive victories for the first time this season.
Just as in yesterday's nine-inning win, Bucknell earned the second victory on Saturday thanks to the top of its batting order. Mary Horton (Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) led off the eighth inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Bucknell then got a second base runner as Laura Sandford (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt), who had yesterday's game-winning RBI, singled to third base. The Crusaders' third baseman just missed throwing out Sandford but took too long checking Horton to keep her from advancing.
With one out, Mallory Lyons (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) came to the plate and put a shot down the left field line. The base hit scored Horton and gave Bucknell the 3-2 win.
Saturday's game-two win also came thanks to a seventh-inning comeback. The Bison trailed Holy Cross (8-30, 3-13 PL) 2-1 since the third inning when the Crusaders scored two runs on three hits in that frame. With the Bison looking for their first series win of the season, Colie Escobar (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) singled to left field. While the Crusaders' Jenna Legros appeared to have made the catch at her shoelaces, the ball just grazed the grass and put Escobar on base for the third consecutive time that game.
Escobar finished game two 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. The freshman was also responsible for Bucknell's first run of the day after she led off the second inning with a double to the right-center field gap and later scored on an RBI single from Nikki Silva (Milford, Mass./Mount St. Charles Academy (R.I.)).
In the seventh inning, Escobar eventually moved to second base on a wild pitch and then third as Kasey Segiel (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) singled up the middle in her pinch-hitting appearance. With one out, Alex Wells (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) reached on a fielder's choice, and although Segiel was called out at second, it was enough to bring Escobar home and knot things up at 2-2.
Helping Bucknell to come back for another win was Bridget Gates (Milford, Conn./Academy of Our Lady of Mercy Lauralton Hall), who entered the game in relief in the third inning. The junior pitched 5.2 innings and did not allow a run to the Crusaders. She allowed just three hits in her appearance and struck out two.
While Gates improved her pitching record to 4-7 in the second game, she also collected her second save of the season in the day's opener. Alex MacLean (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) recorded the win with two runs on two hits. She also struck out two and walked two in 4.0 innings of work. Gates allowed one hit and no runs in 3.0 innings.
The only blip on the screen for Bucknell in game one came in the second inning. After the Bison scored in the first and took the early lead, the Crusaders pulled in front on a two-run home run from Nicole Ortiz in the second inning. It was the first hit of the day for Holy Cross, which eventually finished with just three in that contest.
Bucknell wasted little time in tying things up, scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the second when Silva came home on a fielder's choice. The Bison then took the lead for good in the fourth when Tori Robinson (Corona, Calif./Corona Centennial) led off the inning with a triple over the right fielder's head and later scored when Cassie Greenhawk (Oxford, Md./Easton) singled through the right side.
An insurance run in the fifth put the Bison in front by a score of 4-2 and gave them back-to-back wins for the first time since defeating Howard and Columbia at the Rebel Spring Games on March 13.
Sandford and Greenhawk both closed out game one 2-for-3 at the plate. Greenhawk also had an RBI, while Sandford added a run.
In the series with Holy Cross, Escobar hit 4-for-6 (.667) with two runs scored in three games. Sandford closed out the four-game set hitting 8-for-15 (.533) with one run and two RBI. Horton and Meredith Dickson (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) also hit .400 or better.
On a day with so much production from its underclassmen, it was Dickson who was recognized prior to the game as part of Senior Day. The lone senior on the Bison roster hit .400 in her final weekend at home.
Bucknell will wrap up its regular season at Lafayette next weekend. The Bison and the Leopards will square off in Easton, Pa., with Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday's first pitch is set for noon.
