Bucknell University
Texas Southern
Bucknell Softball Falls 4-3 & 3-2 at Texas Southern
3/18/2013 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 18, 2013
HOUSTON - Bucknell softball dropped a pair of decision to Texas Southern, 4-3 and 3-2, in Houston to wrap up its Spring Break trip on Saturday. Freshman Mariah Midyette closed out the southern swing with a team-best .393 batting average and four doubles. The Bison are now 6-15 on the year and will turn their attention to their home opener, a doubleheader against Drexel at Becker Field on March 27.
Bucknell had a slim lead over Texas Southern heading into the seventh inning in game one and saw a tie slip away in the nightcap. In the opener, the Bison were up 3-2 before the Tigers scored two runs in the bottom half of the frame. Jessica Haynes connected for 2-RBI single to give her team the walk-off win.
Midyette finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate for Bucknell. The freshman recorded her first career triple in the fifth inning and scored on Courtney Conover's sacrifice fly. That made the score 3-1 in favor of the Bison.
Each of Bucknell's first two runs had come in the top of the first inning. Mary Horton kicked things off with a walk and scored on an RBI double from Conover. Conover then came home thanks to an error from the Tigers' first baseman.
Midyette was 2-for-4 with a run, while Conover finished the game 1-for-3 with a run and two RBI. Conover tacked on another RBI in game two when she hit her second home run of the season. That tied the contest at 2-2 in the sixth inning, giving Bucknell its first run since the first frame.
Horton led off the game with a single and two base hits later, including an RBI single from Chayanna Young, gave the Bison an early lead. Texas Southern sprinkled its two runs over the next five innings, but back-to-back hits in the bottom of the seventh proved to be the difference maker. Haynes again registered the walk-off hit, singling to score Thomasina Garza with one out.
Amanda Fazio (4-7) took the loss in game one, giving up two earned runs on eight hits and striking out two. Dana Nielsen (2-7) was Bucknell's pitcher of decision in the nightcap with three earned runs on eight hits. The freshman struck out a career-best eight batters. Both Nielsen and Fazio lasted 6.1 innings in their respective games.
