Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Tennessee Tech
Bison Even Series with Tennessee Tech Thanks to 3-2 Victory
2/27/2016 11:00:00 PM | Baseball
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Spencer Stokes was 3-for-4 and Brett Smith and Sam Clark had two hits apiece to help the Bucknell baseball team to a 3-2 victory at Tennessee Tech on Saturday afternoon. The Bison scored single runs in the first, fourth and sixth innings and three Bucknell pitchers limited the Golden Eagles to just two runs on 11 hits.
Bucknell (3-3), which never trailed in the contest, opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when Joe Ogren drew a two-out walk and later scored on a throwing error.
Tennessee Tech evened the score in the bottom of the second on a two-out solo home run by David Garza.
Jon Mayer, Clark and Stokes opened the fourth inning with consecutive singles with Mayer scoring the go-ahead run on a passed ball.
The Bison added what proved to be an important insurance run in the sixth when Clark reached on a one-out double, moved to third on a Stokes single and then scored on a Mark Powell single. The hit stretched Powell's hitting streak to a team-best four games.
Tennessee Tech (4-2) scored its other run in the seventh on a leadoff homer by Chase Chambers.
The Golden Eagles did threaten in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs, but Danny Rafferty got out of the jam without a run scored and he then retired three of the four hitters he faced in the ninth for his second save of the young season.
Mike Castellani (2-0) started on the mound for Bucknell and pitched into the sixth inning. He allowed seven hits and two walks, but yielded just one run and struck out four. Jeff Gottesman, the Patriot League Rookie of the Week last week, pitched 2.1 innings of relief and allowed just one run before giving way to Rafferty.
Tennessee Tech used four pitchers in the game with starter Travis Moths (0-1) suffering the loss. He logged five innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Bucknell and Tennessee Tech will play the rubber game of their three-game series Sunday at noon.
