Bucknell University
Boston University
Softball Bounces Back with 9-1 Win Over Boston University
5/4/2014 4:16:00 PM | Softball
Bucknell 9, Boston University 1
BOSTON, Mass. – The Bucknell softball team bounced back from two tough losses on Saturday to take a commanding, 9-1 win over Boston University on Sunday on the Boston University Softball Field. The Bison, who got on the board early in the game and secured the win with a monster seventh inning, improved to 21-24 overall and concluded the regular season with a 10-8 Patriot League mark, securing the third seed in next weekend's conference tournament. The Terriers, who will enter the post-season as the second seed, dropped to 32-19 overall and 13-5 in league play with the loss.
“It was really exciting to open the game the way we did,” commented head coach Bonnie Skrenta. “We scored twice on the strength of our aggressive hitting and base running, and our players did a phenomenal job of putting Saturday in the past and setting a new tone for today's contest.”
After struggling offensively on Saturday, Bucknell tallied 13 hits on Sunday, with four different Bison each connecting twice, and the team's defense limited Boston University to just two hits. Freshman Jacklyn Tyburk was 2-for-4 with a run and four RBI, while junior Cydnee Sanders also hit 2-for-4, recording one run and two RBI.
Bucknell was on a quest for victory from the very first pitch, and freshman Jacee Almond opened the game with a single through the right side. The rookie advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Mallory Lyons and a ground out by Sanders, and junior Kristen Zahn was walked before stealing second, putting two Bison in scoring position. Tyburk followed that up with a single through the left side, driving both runners in and giving the Bison a 2-0 lead over the Terriers.
Freshman pitcher Lara Bean did not allow the home team a hit until the bottom of the fourth inning, and the Bison offense threated on several occasions, but the score remained 2-0, in favor of Bucknell, through the bottom of the sixth. The Terriers got one back, scoring on an error in that stanza, but the Bison blew the game open in the top of the seventh, scoring seven runs to take a 9-1 lead.
Sanders drove in the first two runs of the stanza with a double through the right side, and Tyburk's second two-RBI hit of the day, a double to left center, brought in Zahn and Sanders. Sophomore Mariah Midyette recorded an RBI double, and a single by sophomore Cheyanna Young, combined with a throwing error in left field, capped off the scoring with runs by freshman Chaylen Andolino and senior Kasey Segiel.
Sophomore Amanda Fazio, who relieved Bean in the sixth, recorded back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh before a ground out to Sanders sealed the 9-1 win.
“Our bats started clicking in the seventh,” added Skrenta. “I am so proud of the team for making a change and ending the regular season on a high note. We held on to the third seed with the win and I could not be happier about that.”
Bean took home the win, improving to 8-5 on the season, allowing just two hits and one unearned run in 5.2 innings of action. The rookie also walked three and struck out one. Fazio earned the save, giving up nothing, striking out three and walking one in her 1.1 innings in the circle.
With the 2014 regular season in the books, Bucknell's focus will now switch to next weekend's Patriot League Tournament. Lehigh (15-3) claimed the regular season title with a 9-1 win over Army on Sunday, and will play host to the Terriers (13-5), Bison (10-8) and Black Knights (9-9) from May 8 to 10. No. 1 Lehigh and No. 4 Army will open the double-elimination competition at 12:05 p.m. on Thursday, while No. 2 Boston University and No. 3 Bucknell are set to square off at 2:35 p.m. that afternoon. Audio broadcasts of all contests will be available.
