Bucknell University Athletics
Softball Set for Big Conference Series at Lehigh on Saturday and Sunday
4/3/2015 10:02:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell softball will travel to play Lehigh in an important early-season Patriot League series this weekend. The Bison and Mountain Hawks will play a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday, and will conclude the series with a game at noon on Sunday. All three games will be played at Kaufman Field.
Bucknell (19-14, 1-2 PL) and Lehigh (21-3, 5-0 PL) are two of the favorites in the Patriot League this season, based on the results of the league's preseason poll. The Bison were picked second, but got off to a shaky start with two losses in three games to Colgate last weekend. The Mountain Hawks tied the Bison for second in the poll and are one of the hottest teams in the country right now with wins in their past 12 games.
The Bison nearly pulled off a big upset at Penn State in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday. Erin Cox hit a pair of home runs and Kristen Zahn hit one to lead the Bison to an 8-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Nittany Lions scored five runs to grab the win. The hosts went on to win the second game, as well, handing Bucknell its fourth straight loss.
Streaky play has been the norm for Bucknell this season. The Bison have four winning streaks of at least three games this year, and have lost at least four straight games on two occasions.
With her two home runs on Wednesday, Cox leads the team with six. Zahn is right behind her with five after her one blast at Penn State. Zahn is also on pace to become the program's single-season record holder in RBIs. She has 30, which is just one away from cracking the program's top-10 list and just six away from breaking the record of 35 set by Angie Stackhouse in 2004 and matched by Lauren Litts in 2006.
Zahn (.330) and Cox (.301) are two of four Bison players batting over .300. Amanda Fazio leads the team with a .392 batting average, while last year's Patriot League batting champion, Cydnee Sanders, is second at .354.
Lehigh is led by Morgan Decker, who was selected as the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year, and Emily Bausher, who was voted the Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Decker is batting .309 with five doubles and two home runs. Bausher is 10-2 with a 1.28 ERA and .205 batting average against. Christine Campbell gives the Mountain Hawks two dominant pitchers, going 9-1 with a 1.44 ERA and a .194 batting average against.
The Mountain Hawks opened conference play with a three-game sweep of Lafayette, out-scoring the Leopards 21-0. They went on to add 9-1 and 11-1 wins over preseason conference favorite Boston University three days later.
Saturday marks the first meeting between Bucknell and Lehigh since the Bison eliminated the Mountain Hawks from last year's conference tournament with a 3-1 win.
