Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Cornell
10-Run Inning Helps Baseball to Doubleheader Split vs. Cornell
3/19/2016 6:59:00 PM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell baseball team opened Saturday's doubleheader at chilly Depew Field with a 12-3 victory over Cornell. The Bison capitalized on a big third inning where they sent 16 men to the plate, scored 10 runs, totaled five hits, drew six walks, had two hit by pitches and faced five Big Red pitchers. Bucknell, which left the bases loaded, came just two runs shy of equaling the program record for runs in an inning.
In game two, Cornell (5-4) scored single runs in the first, fifth and sixth innings and added two more in the top of the ninth to build a 5-0 lead. The Bison (7-11) put together a small rally in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two runs on back-to-back doubles by Evan Klugerman and Alex O'Neill, but it was not enough.
Brett Smith was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI in game one and added a sixth-inning single in game two to extend his hitting streak to eight games.
Bucknell did score single runs in the first and second innings in game one, but the inning that really put the game away was the third. The Bison scored all but one run in the frame with two outs and nine straight hitters reached base at one point.
Seven members of the Bucknell starting lineup drove in runs in game one, led by three RBIs from Mark Powell. Powell had a ground out RBI and a bases-loaded walk in the third as he helped the Bison reach double figures in runs for the first time this season.
Jamie Smith, the fifth pitcher used by Cornell in the third inning, struck out the first batter he faced to end the inning. He then allowed just two Smith singles the rest of the way. The Big Red scored one run in the fifth and two more in the seventh.
Andrew Andreychik (1-2) earned his first win of the year for Bucknell as he pitched 6.0 innings and allowed just six hits and one run. He struck out five. Mike Stephens pitched the final inning (seventh) and was touched for one hit and two runs while walking two. It was just his second appearance of the season.
Michael Byrne (1-1) was tagged with the loss for Cornell. He allowed the first hit and first three walks in the third inning before departing in favor of Scott Soltis.
Big Red starter Tim Willittes (2-1) was the story of game two. The right-hander struck out 13 in 8.0 innings of work, the most strikeouts by a Cornell pitcher since 2003. He allowed just one baserunner over the first 5.2 innings of play, and just three hits overall before giving way to Adam Saks for the ninth inning.
Bucknell's only runs in the game came in the ninth inning when Spencer Stokes drew a two-out walk and then Klugerman and O'Neill followed with back-to-back RBI doubles. Stokes also had a second-inning triple as he was the only Bison to reach base twice in the game.
Cornell, which left 12 runners on base in the nightcap, scored in the first on a Dale Wickham RBI single and in the fifth on a Cole Rutherford triple that evaded a diving Danny Rafferty in right. The Big Red added a run in the sixth on a Eliot Lowell single that scored C.J. Price, but saw Jacob Weston get gunned down at home plate by Brett Smith. It was one of two Cornell runners that were thrown out trying to score.
Mike Castellani (2-2) suffered the loss for Bucknell. He pitched 5.2 innings and allowed seven hits and five walks. He did strike out two and was charged with three of Cornell's runs. Austin Zimmerman, Tommy Gambon and Austin Zimmerman followed out of the bullpen.
Bucknell and Cornell will wrap up their four-game series with a single game Sunday at noon at Depew Field. The Big Red have won two of the first three games in the series.
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