Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Softball Loses 7-3 in Series Finale at Lehigh
4/5/2015 7:35:00 PM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bucknell softball caught Patriot League rival Lehigh at the wrong time for its three-game series this weekend. The Bison were swept by a team in the midst of the most successful stretch in conference history with a 7-3 loss on Sunday at Kaufman Field.
The Bison fell to 19-17 overall and 1-5 in the conference. The Mountain Hawks improved to 24-3 overall and 8-0 in league play. Their current 15-game winning streak is the longest in Patriot League history.
The Bucknell lineup looked much better against Emily Bausher, the Preseason Patriot League Pitcher of the Year, than it did in game one of the series on Saturday. The Bison struck first with a run in the top of the first inning when Cydnee Sanders scored on a line-drive double to the right field gap by Kristen Zahn.
Lehigh responded with two runs in the bottom half of the first and upped its lead to 4-1 with two more in the third inning.
The Bison got to Bausher again with two more runs in the fourth inning to cut the Mountain Hawks' lead to 4-3. Christina Martinez started the rally with a one-out double, and pinch-runner Celina Antonellis later scored on a bloop single to right field by Jacee Almond. Maddie Minneci, who singled prior to Almond's hit, scored the team's third run of the game on an error.
Lehigh pulled away with two runs in the fifth inning and one in the sixth. Bausher improved to 12-2 on the season.
Bucknell had eight hits in the game, led by Almond and Minneci with two apiece. Amanda Fazio, Kristen Zahn and Martinez all doubled, while Sanders added a single. Zahn drove in her 33rd run, the fifth most in one season in team history. She needs just three more RBIs to become the school's single-season record holder.
The Bison will be in action this weekend with four games at Becker Field. They will host Robert Morris for a doubleheader on Friday and Binghamton for two games on Saturday.
