Bucknell University
Toledo
Softball Off to Best Start Since 1988 after Two More Wins at Cleveland State
2/8/2015 7:31:00 PM | Softball
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Bucknell softball team is off to its best start in 27 years after going 4-0 at the season-opening Cleveland State Dome Tournament. The Bison, which posted wins over Canisius and Bowling Green on Saturday, added back-to-back walk-off victories over Toledo and Robert Morris on Sunday.
The Bison are 4-0 for the first time since the 1988 season. That team, led by longtime coach Terrie Grieb, won its first 11 games on its way to a 24-9 record.
“The team is thrilled,” said Bucknell head coach Bonnie Skrenta of the 4-0 weekend. “There were a lot of comments during the tournament about the energy coming from our team. I'm proud of everyone. They are all pumped up and can't wait for the trip to North Carolina for our next games.”
Game 1 – Bucknell 4, Toledo 3
Junior Amanda Fazio scored on a one-out fielder's choice by senior Cydnee Sanders in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Bucknell to a 4-3 win over Toledo in the first game of the day. Junior Dana Nielsen pitched two scoreless innings of relief to pick up her first win of the season.
Fazio was hit by a pitch to lead off the final inning and stole second to get into scoring position. Following a walk by sophomore Jacee Almond, freshman Madeline Minneci did her part with a sacrifice bunt, setting the stage for Sanders' game-winning RBI.
It was only fitting that the game went down to the final inning as the teams battled close throughout the contest. Toledo struck first with a run in the first inning, while Bucknell didn't take its first lead until going up 3-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth. The Rockets tied the game one last time with a tally in the sixth, but the Bison made the most of having the last at-bat.
Sophomore Lara Bean started the game in the circle and pitched four strong innings, giving up two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two batters. Junior Cindy Cherness gave up one run in her lone inning of work before Nielsen came into pitch the final two frames. Nielsen allowed one hit, didn't walk a batter and had one strikeout.
Senior Erin Cox continued her torrid start to the season, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Almond, junior Lauren Swindell, senior Kristen Zahn, and freshman Meghan Kovac all singled. Sanders finished with two RBIs, while Almond and Swindell had one apiece.
Game 2 – Bucknell 6, Robert Morris 5
Bucknell again scored in the final inning, this time with two outs, to upend Robert Morris 6-5. Fazio pitched all seven innings to notch the first win by a Bison starter on the weekend. She gave up five runs, three earned, while striking out six and walking just one.
Patience at the plate paid off for Bucknell in the win over the Colonials. Following two groundouts to start the bottom of the seventh inning, Zahn walked and then moved into scoring position on a walk by Kovac. Zahn crossed the plate for the game-winner on a fielding error by the second baseman that was partially caused by junior Mariah Midyette's hustle to first base.
Both Kovac and Midyette faced touch counts before coming through in the clutch. Kovac was behind 0-2 before working the count for a walk, while Midyette put the ball in play on a two-strike pitch.
The Bison took a four-run lead with a huge fifth inning, scoring five runs – four with two outs - on five hits and two hit-by-pitches. Kovac had the big hit of the inning with a two-run single that scored Sanders and Minneci. Young roped an RBI double, while Almond and Sanders delivered RBI singles.
Robert Morris cut the lead to 5-2 with a run in the fifth inning and tied the game with a three-run rally in the seventh. Two of the final three runs were unearned.
Cox went 1-for-3 and finished the tournament 7-for-11 with a home run, two doubles, four RBIs and five runs scored. Young's double was the lone extra-base hit of the game for the Bison. She batted .500 (4-8) for the tournament with four RBIs and three runs scored. Almond came through with a pair of singles in the win.
In addition to her two RBIs and the clutch walk in the final inning, Kovac was lauded by Skrenta for her defensive effort at third base.
The Bison will look to keep the streak alive as they head to Greenville, North Carolina for five games from Feb. 13-15. They will play two games against East Carolina, two against East Tennessee State and one against Towson.
