Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Softball Cruises to Two Wins in Doubleheader with Lafayette
4/14/2015 9:07:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa – Bucknell softball picked up two much-needed wins in Patriot League play, taking both games of a doubleheader against Lafayette on Tuesday at Becker Field. The Bison slugged their way to an 8-0 win in five innings in game one, and rolled to a 6-1 win in game two.
Bucknell improved to 24-17 overall with its fifth straight win, eclipsing last season's total with 10 games remaining on the regular season schedule. More importantly, the Bison jumped to 3-5 in the Patriot League. Lafayette fell to 3-27 overall and 1-10 in the conference.
The teams will wrap up the series with a game at Becker Field on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
Game 1 – Bucknell 8, Lafayette 0 (5 innings)
Cydnee Sanders and Chaylen Andolino both went 3-for-3 at the plate, and Dana Nielsen made quick work of the Lafayette lineup as the Bison cruised to an 8-0 shutout in five innings.
It was a breakout game for Andolino, who took advantage of the starting role. She entered the game with two hits on the season, and ended it with more than double that number. The sophomore came through with three singles and drove in a run. Sanders knocked in two runs, as did Jacee Almond and Erin Cox.
Nielsen needed just 74 pitches to notch her fourth complete game of the season. She allowed three hits, walked one batter and struck out one. She lowered her team-best ERA to 3.46 and improved to 8-4 with a win in each of her past three appearances.
Cox and Sanders both doubled for Bucknell. Almond, Amanda Fazio, Meghan Kovac and Carolyn Wan all singled as the Bison scored their eight runs on 11 hits.
The Bison went up 3-0 after one inning and started to pull away with two in the fourth. They ended the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, capped off when Wan scored on a groundball hit by Almond.
Game 2 – Bucknell 6, Lafayette 1
Andolino added two more hits, and Fazio kept the Leopards' hitters off balance to lead the Bison to a 6-1 win in the second game of the day.
With five hits in two games, Andolino raised her batting average by more than 150 points. Fazio and Kovac joined her with two hits in the game, as both finished with a double and single. Kovac drove in three runs.
Lafayette scored a run in the top of the first inning, but that is all Fazio would allow. She gave up four hits, walked two and struck out two batters. The junior improved to 13-9.
Fazio also stole her 23rd base of the season. She needs two more to pass Lisa Fink for the Bucknell record. Fink, a 1993 graduate, owns the top four spots on the all-time list.
Almond, Sanders and Zahn had one hit apiece. Zahn also drove in her 40th run of the season, increasing her single-season program record.
