Bucknell University
Saint Joseph's
Baseball Opens Home Schedule with 9-2 Loss to Saint Joseph's
3/17/2015 7:09:00 PM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Joe Ogren hit his fourth home run of the young season and Rob Krentzman had a pair of hits, but the Bucknell baseball team could not overcome three errors and six walks issued by its pitching staff as it dropped its home opener to Saint Joseph's by a 9-2 score Tuesday afternoon at a sunny but windy Depew Field. The Bison fell to 9-6 on the season, while the Hawks improved to 5-9.
Ogren, who is hitting .424 on the year and has a team-best 17 RBIs, hit his home run to right field in the bottom of the first inning to tie the score at 1-1. However, Bucknell would score just one more run the rest of the game – a bases-loaded fielder's choice by Brett Smith in the sixth inning.
The Bison did have opportunities as they left 10 men on base, including the bases loaded in both the third and fifth innings.
Saint Joseph's used four pitchers in the contest. Relievers Tim McCarthy and Ryan Kelly held the Bison to no hits over the final three innings of play. Bucknell totaled seven hits in the contest, breaking a string of four consecutive games with double-figure hits.
The Hawks scored the go-ahead run in the top of the second when eighth-place hitter Taylor Boyd drew a one-out walk and later scored on a two-out single by Stafan Kancylarz.
Saint Joseph's extended its lead to 5-1 with three runs in the fourth inning. Dominic Cuoci drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a Boyd single. Pater Sitaras then bunted down the third-base line and beat it out, but the throw from third was wide, allowing Cuoci to score. Two sac flies sandwiched around a walk and a balk capped the scoring in the frame.
The Hawks added two unearned runs in the sixth and scored two more in the eighth on a wild pitch and a sac fly.
Five of the runs scored by Saint Joseph's came in innings that included errors. Three of their runs scored on sac flies.
Bucknell used six pitchers in the game with freshman lefty Mike Korchak (0-1) earning his second career start. He logged a team-high 3.1 innings. Mike Castellani followed with 2.0 innings and was able to send the Hawks down in order in the fifth inning before giving way to Mike Stephens in the middle of the sixth.
Max Kra (0.2 IP) made his season debut, while Jack Schoenberger and Tucker Rekucki were also used out of the bullpen.
Matt Maul led Saint Joseph's with three RBIs, while Deon Stafford, John Brue and Sitaras had two hits apiece. The Hawks totaled 10 hits in the contest.
Tuesday's game was the first of seven in a row at home for Bucknell, which hosts Cornell in a four-game series this weekend. Doubleheaders both Saturday and Sunday begin at noon.
