Bucknell University
Cornell
Baseball Wins Two One-Run Games vs. Cornell
3/22/2015 6:44:00 PM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Andrew Andreychik pitched his first complete game of the season and allowed just one run as the Bucknell baseball team opened Sunday's doubleheader at Depew Field against Cornell with a 2-1 victory over the Big Red. The Bison also claimed the nightcap by an 8-7 score as they took the final three games of the four-game weekend series against Cornell (3-11).
Bucknell (12-7) is now five games over .500 for the first time this season.
It was a chilly day at sun-splashed Depew Field, but that did not seem to bother Andreychik (2-2). The junior yielded an unearned run in the top of the first inning, but kept the Big Red scoreless the rest of the way. Cornell did total eight hits in the game, but Andreychik struck out seven as he out-dueled his counterpart, Michael Byrne (0-4).
Byrne also logged a complete game and limited Bucknell to four hits, but the Bison plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth that proved to be the difference. The left-handed Byrne entered the game averaging more than a strikeout per inning and he struck out 11 Bucknell hitters and did not walk any. In fact, the only inning the Bison had a baserunner was the fourth inning.
Brett Smith got that fourth inning started with a single to the second baseman. Two batters later Joe Ogren drove him home with his first of two RBIs in the doubleheader. Jon Mayer followed with a single, while Spencer Stokes' hard-hit ball through the left side plated Ogren with the go-ahead run. Stokes started at designated hitter in both games Sunday and was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored to lift his season average to .462 (6-for-13).
After a total of nine runs were scored in the first three games of the weekend series, the offenses took over in Sunday's second game as the teams combined for 15 runs on 21 hits. There were also a total of six errors that led to six unearned runs.
Ogren Rob Krentzman, Stokes and Greg Wasikowski had two hits apiece in the nightcap for the Bison, who scored their most runs since defeating Butler 8-5 on March 13.
It was a back-and-forth affair as Bucknell took an early 3-0 lead with one run in the first inning and two more in the second. Cornell, however, put five runs on the board in the top of the third. The Bison re-took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Bucknell held the lead the rest of the way, although the Big Red cut their deficit to one run on two occasions, including in the ninth inning when they left the potential tying run at third base.
The Bison scored their initial run in the top of the first when Smith walked. He later scored on a bases-loaded double play.
Bucknell sent eight hitters to the plate in the second inning and scored two runs. Wasikowski drove home Stokes with a two-out single, while Ogren drew a bases-loaded walk to allow Wasikowski to score.
Trailing 5-3, the Bison scored four runs in the fifth inning, two of which were unearned. The first four hitters reached against reliever Eric Upton (0-1) with the first two runs being scored on a bases-loaded hit by pitch by Mark Powell and a bases-loaded fielder's choice by Stokes. The bases remained loaded due to a throwing error on the play.
Paul Balestrieri relieved Upton after Stokes and got a double-play grounder, but Krentzman scored the go-ahead run for the Bison. Wasikowski followed with an RBI single up the middle to wrap up the scoring in the inning and give Bucknell a 7-5 lead.
The Bison added what proved to be an important insurance run in the seventh when Powell led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a two-out Smith single between short and third.
Jordan Holtz got the start on the mound for Bucknell and sent the Big Red down 1-2-3 in each of the first two innings. However, Cornell sent nine men to the plate and scored five runs in the top of the third. Four of the runs ended up being unearned due to a two-out error.
Mike Castellani (2-0) replaced Holtz with two outs in the third inning and he promptly picked Trey Baur off of first base. Castellani pitched a total of 5.1 innings and allowed just five hits and two runs. He gave way to Mike Stephens one batter into the ninth inning. Stephens retired three of the four hitters he faced and stranded the potential tying run at third base to pick up his first career save.
Ogren was 3-for-7 in the doubleheader and is still hitting over .400 (.408) on the season. The junior's on-base percentage remains above .500 (.512).
Bucknell, which is 3-2 at home this season, will continue its seven-game homestand Tuesday against Binghamton at 3 p.m. The Bison are also scheduled to host Mount St. Mary's Wednesday at 3 p.m.
