Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Delaware
Late Comebacks Come Up Short for Bucknell Baseball in Pair of One-Run Losses at Delaware
3/23/2013 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 23, 2013
NEWARK, Del. -The Bucknell baseball team lost a pair of one-run games at Delaware on Saturday at Bob Hannah Stadium despite a couple of late comebacks. The Bison scored eight runs in the top of the ninth inning of a 13-12 game one loss that ended with the bases loaded. Bucknell entered the ninth inning of game two trailing by two runs and cut the deficit in half, but left the tying run on base in a 4-3 loss.
Delaware (13-8) broke a 2-2 tie in game two with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Carter Bumgardner was 3-for-4 in game one and scored a pair of runs for Bucknell, while Corey Furman, Joe Ogren, Justin Meier and Scott Glass had two hits apiece. Furman had another hit in game two to extend his team-best hitting streak to five games, while Anthony Gingerelli and Rob Krentzman both had a pair of hits.
Bryson Hough (1-3) was Bucknell's (4-15) starter in game one and he was charged with 14 hits and 10 runs allowed in 5.2 innings. Delaware (13-8) plated six runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh to build a 13-2 advantage. Jack McLinden entered the game in the seventh inning and induced a double-play grounder and then retired four of the next five hitters he faced to give the Bison a chance to come back.
The Bucknell comeback began in the eighth when Glass led off with a double and Furman followed with a single. Two batters later Bumgardner hit an RBI double to left that knocked Delaware starter Chad Kuhl (4-1) from the game. A Robb Scott ground out plated Furman and brought the Bison to within 13-4.
The nine-run deficit remained in the ninth when Bucknell posted six of its 15 hits and scored eight runs. Fourteen hitters stepped to the plate and the Bison almost came all the way back as the first eight hitters reached base on five singles, two errors and a hit by pitch. The first out of the inning came on a sac fly off the bat of the frame's ninth hitter, Ogren, who has reached base in 11 consecutive games.
A two-out bases-loaded walk to Glass brought the Bison to within 13-12 and kept the bases loaded, bringing leadoff hitter Furman to the plate with a chance to put Bucknell back on top for the first time since the third inning. However, Stephen Richter got a ground out to second to end the game and pick up his second save of the year.
Delaware's bullpen gave up six hits and eight runs in 1.2 innings of work after Kuhl yielded nine hits and four runs in 7.1 innings.
The Blue Hens totaled 18 hits in game one, including six for extra bases. D.J. Long hit a three-run home run to key the six-run sixth inning and knock Hough from the game.
Game two was a lower scoring affair, but Bucknell still needed a comeback in the later innings. The Bison trailed 4-2 entering the ninth. A one-out single by Gingerelli got a potential rally started. He moved to second on a ground out by Meier and then scored on a single up the middle by Krentzman, who represented the tying run. Eric Buckland, though, retired Glass to end the rally and the game.
Bucknell took the early lead in game two, scoring single runs in the first and second innings. An RBI single by Ogren plated the first-inning run, while Gingerelli led off the second with a double and later scored on a wild pitch.
Delaware starter Adam Davis (3-3) then settled down and allowed just two hits over the final 24 hitters he faced. He retired 10 straight Bison at one point and did not face more than five hitters in any of his eight innings of work.
Dan Weigel (1-4) started for Bucknell and logged 7.1 innings. He scattered 10 hits and struck out a season-high seven. He yielded four runs, just three of which were earned. Andrew Andreychik got the final two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
The Bison took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth when Delaware scored its first run thanks to a two-out rally. Zach Lopes got things started with a walk and then Tyler Powell and Andrew Burgess followed with singles.
The Blue Hens tied the game in the sixth with an unearned run. Long led off the frame by reaching on an error, moved to second on a sac bunt and then scored the tying run on a Powell single.
A leadoff single in the eighth by Lopes got the go-ahead rally started for Delaware. Two sacrifice bunts and two singles later the Blue Hens had a 4-2 advantage heading into the ninth.
Bucknell and Delaware will wrap up their three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. in Lewisburg. It will be the home opener for the Bison, who have yet to play at Depew Field this spring. Fans can listen to a live audio broadcast via SportsJuice.com.
