Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
James Madison
Baseball Splits Doubleheader at James Madison
2/20/2016 9:04:00 PM | Baseball
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Junior lefty Mike Castellani allowed just two runs in six innings of work in his first start of the year and Danny Rafferty and Joe Ogren drove in runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 2-2 deadlock and lead the Bucknell baseball team to a 4-2 victory over James Madison in the seven-inning game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Veterans Memorial Park. The Bison nearly made it a sweep when they took a 5-1 lead into the final inning of the nightcap, but the Dukes scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth and later won by a 7-6 score in 12 innings.
The Bison pitching was strong all day. Castellani allowed six hits and struck out three as he earned his first win of the season. Rafferty pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh to earn his third career save.
Senior Dan Keller started game two and limited the Dukes to three hits and one run in four innings. He struck out a career-high five before giving way to freshman Jeff Gottesman in the fifth. Gottesman was very effective in his first career appearance, pitching four shutout innings and striking out five while allowing just two hits. He left the game with Bucknell (1-2) leading 5-1.
James Madison (2-1) ended up tying the score in game two with four runs in the bottom of the ninth against three Bison pitchers, including two freshmen making their first career appearances. Rafferty (0-1), a junior who moved to the mound from left field in the ninth inning, pitched a scoreless 10th and 11th innings, but James Madison finally touched him for a pair of runs in the bottom of the 12th with Ky Parrott's two-out single to right driving home Chad Carroll with the winning run.
Brett Smith had five hits in the doubleheader for Bucknell. He went 2-for-4 in game one, and had three more hits in game two. Ogren also had three hits in game two, including a solo home run in the 12th inning that briefly gave the Bison a 6-5 lead.
Smith's first hit of the day helped the Bison take the early lead in game one. He led off the top of the first with a single and later scored on a double play ground out by Ogren.
James Madison took its first lead of the game with two runs in the fourth inning. A two-out RBI double by Kyle Weston tied the score and he later scored on a first-and-third situation where the other runner got caught in a rundown while attempting a steal.
The Bison tied the score up in the top of the fifth when Luke Johnson led off with a double and later scored on a fielder's choice by Smith.
The score remained tied at 2-2 entering the seventh, and final, inning. Tommy Pennington led off the frame with a walk and Rafferty knocked him home for the go-ahead run with a one-out triple. Ogren followed with a sac fly to plate an insurance run.
James Madison used four pitchers in the contest. Ben Garner (0-1) was tagged with the loss for allowing the two runs in the seventh. Colton Harlow started and pitched into the fifth inning. He allowed six of Bucknell's eight hits and two runs.
Bucknell built its lead in game two with three runs in the third inning and two more in the seventh. Mark Powell, Pennington and Smith led off the third frame with back-to-back-to-back singles to plate the first run of the frame. Sam Clark drove in the second with a sac fly, while Smith also scored from third on a wild pitch.
Smith was in the middle of things in the seventh as well. He followed a Pennington leadoff triple with an RBI single through the left side. Smith then stole home in a double-steal situation when Rafferty stole second.
Matt Marsili (1-0) earned the win in relief for the Dukes by retiring both hitters he faced after entering the game in the 12th. He was the last of six James Madison pitchers used in the contest.
Bucknell and James Madison will wrap up their four-game weekend series Sunday with a single game at 2 p.m. The Dukes won the first game of the series Friday by a 9-3 score.
