Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army
Walk-Off Single by Mayer, Strong Pitching Key Baseball's Doubleheader Sweep of Army
4/11/2015 7:17:00 PM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Jon Mayer's walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning propelled the Bucknell baseball team to a 2-1 victory over Army in game one of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Depew Field. The Bison then completed the sweep with a 10-2 victory in the nightcap thanks to a season-high-tying 19 hits, including three apiece by Mayer, Danny Rafferty and Joe Ogren.
Bison starting pitchers Bryson Hough (game one) and Xavier Hammond (game two) were stellar. The two seniors combined to pitch 17.2 innings in the twinbill and did not walk a hitter. The Black Knights scored just three runs against them and were limited to 15 total hits. Hough did not earn the win, but he logged an impressive 10.0 innings, while Hammond improved to 4-2 on the season before giving way to Max Kra for the final four outs.
Bucknell (17-15, 3-7 PL), which had played its last nine games on the road, improved to 7-2 at home this season. The Bison also climbed right back into the Patriot League race as they are now tied with Army (15-16, 3-7 PL), just two games out of fourth place. The top four teams in the league make the postseason tournament.
Game one was a low-scoring affair that also moved very quickly as all 11 innings were played in less than two-and-one-half hours. Both teams had chances to take control of the game earlier than the 11th inning, but the opposition kept coming through with clutch plays.
Bucknell's game-winning run came after Mike Korchak reached on a wild pitch on a strikeout. Pinch runner Tommy Pennington then moved to second on a passed ball and Mayer's single up the middle scored him with none out in the inning. Amazingly, Black Knights starter Alex Robinett (4-4) was still in the game. The senior struck out 11 and walked four as the Bison posted seven hits against him.
Bucknell had its chances to score more runs earlier in the game, but was unable to come through. The Bison went up 1-0 in the third inning on a passed ball, but left the bases loaded. Rob Krentzman led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, but pinch runner Chuckie Scales was stranded at third, sending the game to extra innings. Three straight Bucknell hitters reached in the ninth inning, but a pickoff by Robinett kept the Bison off the board.
Army, which left two runners on base in the third, fifth and sixth innings, scored its lone run in the top of the sixth when Jon Rosoff's double past third baseman Mark Powell started a one-out rally. Mark McCants and Jacob Page followed with singles to tie the score. The Black Knights would register just one more hit – a two-out hustling double to center by Harold Earls in the seventh – the rest of the game.
Hough pitched especially well in extra innings with his only blemish being a leadoff hit by pitch in the 10th inning. He was able to strand Johnny Griffith at second after hitting him to lead off the frame.
Mike Stephens (1-0), who earned his first career win, relieved Hough in the 11th and hit the first batter he faced, but McCants was thrown out trying to steal second on a hit-and-run. Stephens proceeded to strike out the next two hitters to send the game to the bottom of the 11th and set up Mayer's heroics.
Prior to his game-winning single, Mayer had been 0-for-4 in game one. The single got him going, though, as he was 3-for-4 with a sac fly and an RBI single in the nightcap. The junior catcher now ranks third on the team with 17 RBIs this season.
Bucknell wasted no time getting to Army starter Julian Larimer (0-4) in the second game as it plated four runs in the bottom of the first and posted its highest scoring game since defeating Mount St. Mary's 8-7 on March 25. The Bison added two runs in the third, two in the fifth and single runs in the seventh and eighth as they had at least one baserunner in every inning.
Krentzman had a strong nightcap, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. He had a two-run single to help key the scoring outburst in the first inning.
It was a total team effort at the plate as all nine starters had at least one hit and seven drove in at least one run.
Army, which scored its only runs on a two-run home run by Page in the sixth inning, used just three pitchers. Larimer gave up 13 hits and eight runs (seven earned) while striking out three in 4.1 innings. Stu Schley (2.0 IP) and Matt Ball (1.2) gave up one run apiece.
With the extra-inning game one, Bucknell has now played five extra-inning games during Patriot League play this year. The Bison are 2-3 in those contests.
Bucknell's eight-run margin of victory in game two was its largest since defeating Buffalo 17-4 on Feb. 28.
The Bison and Black Knights will wrap up their four-game series with another doubleheader Sunday at Depew Field. First pitch is at noon. Both games can be heard on 90.5 WVBU and BucknellBison.com.
