Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Boston University
Sanders Breaks Career Hits Record in Bison's 5-3 Win over Boston University
5/3/2015 7:24:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Cydnee Sanders became the new career hits leader at Bucknell and the Bison closed the regular season with a sweep of Boston University with a 5-3 win over the Terriers on Sunday at Becker Field. Sanders had two of the team's 11 hits, giving her a program record 207 for her career.
Bucknell closed the regular season with wins in 14 of its final 15 games. The Bison are 33-18 overall and 12-6 entering their matchup with Colgate in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament on Thursday at Lehigh's Leadership Park. Boston University, last season's conference champion, saw its season come to an end at 17-27 overall and 7-11 in the league.
Sanders entered the day tied with Lisa Fink (1990-93) atop Bucknell's career hits list. She broke the record in her first at-bat of the game, giving Bucknell a 2-0 lead with a two-run double to left-center field. Kristen Zahn followed and plated Sanders with a single up the middle, adding to her team record with her 51st RBI of the season. Later in the inning, Kamille Larrabee tacked on a sacrifice fly to give the Bison an early 4-0 lead.
Boston University scored a run in the third, but Bucknell got that back with a run in the bottom of the fifth when Amanda Fazio scored on a single by Zahn. Prior to scoring on the hit, Fazio had stolen second base. It was her 25th stolen base of the season, breaking another record that was held by Fink.
The Terriers threatened to make a comeback in the final inning, scoring two runs to cut the Bison's lead to 5-3. But with the game-tying run on first base, starting pitcher Dana Nielsen got the batter to fly out to Tori Robinson in left field to end the game. Nielsen improved to 13-4 on the year.
The Bison nearly had yet another record broken during the game when Erin Cox led off the top of the third inning with a double. She hit a high fly ball to left field that came down on the very top of the outfield fence and bounced back into play. If it had bounced the other way, it would have been her ninth home run of the season. Instead, she is tied with three other plays atop the list with eight.
Zahn had another big game, tallying a team-high three hits. She inched closer to a .400 batting average for the season, upping it to .396 as postseason play nears. Carolyn Wan had two hits, while Chaylen Andolino, Fazio and Maddie Minneci had one apiece.
