Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Yale
Season Highs in Runs and Hits Lead Baseball to Doubleheader Split vs. Yale
3/26/2016 7:04:00 PM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Brett Smith, Spencer Stokes and Sam Clark had three hits apiece and Bucknell exploded for seven first-inning runs on its way to a 13-9 victory over Yale in the second game of a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon at sun-splashed Depew Field. The Bison lost game one 5-4 after leading 4-2 at one point.
Smith, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games, was 5-for-10 with four runs scored and two RBIs in the two games Saturday, while Stokes was also 5-for-10 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Clark and Joe Ogren also had three RBIs apiece in the twinbill.
Bucknell's (8-14) offense was especially potent in the nightcap, exploding for season high totals for runs (13) and hits (16). Five different Bison had multiple hits in the contest and eight of the nine spots in the batting order posted at least one hit as Bucknell never went down 1-2-3 in the contest.
The Bison started game two extremely well as the first seven hitters in the lineup reached base via a hit against Yale (3-12-1) starter Chris Lanham (0-1). Bucknell ended up sending 11 hitters to the plate in the first inning with seven of them scoring. Smith had a single and a two-run triple in the frame, while Stokes, Clark and Alex O'Neill posted RBI singles. Ogren recorded an RBI double.
The Bison never relinquished their lead, although Yale got back to within one run at 8-7 after plating two runs in the second, one in the third and four in the fifth. Bucknell answered quickly in the bottom of the fifth with three runs. The Bison batted around in the frame and benefitted from three walks and a throwing error in the frame.
A sac fly in the seventh by Luke Johnson and a two-out RBI single up the middle by Jon Mayer in the eighth added valuable insurance runs as Bucknell was able to keep a cushion in the score column.
Danny Rafferty pitched a scoreless final two innings for his fourth save of the year. Four of the six outs he recorded were via strikeout. He also had two hits and two runs scored at the plate.
Mike Castellani (3-2) earned the win despite not pitching his best game. He pitched 5.0 innings and allowed 10 hits and seven runs, five of which were earned. He put up a zero in the walks column while striking out four. The lefty was able to put Yale down in order in the first and fourth innings.
Max Kra also made an appearance on the mound, logging 2.0 innings and allowing four hits and two runs. He did not walk a batter.
Yale used four pitchers in the contest and issued eight walks while giving up 16 hits.
Four of the seven-inning game one's nine runs were scored in the first inning as both teams scored twice in the first frame. Smith, Rafferty and Ogren – the first three hitters in the Bison lineup – reached via hit, leading to Bucknell's two runs.
Yale starter Chasen Ford (1-3), who got all but one out in the game, then retired six Bucknell hitters in a row before Smith tripled leading off the third. He later scored on a Rafferty ground out, giving the Bison a 3-2 lead. Ogren scored on a bunt by Clark later in the inning, staking Bucknell to a 4-2 advantage.
The Bison would have just two more hits the rest of the game, although Ford did issue four more walks, giving him five in the game.
Yale cut the Bucknell lead to 4-3 with an unearned run in the fifth and then Tim Degaw's two-out, two-run single in the sixth gave the Bulldogs the lead for good and knocked Bison starter Andrew Andreychik (1-3) from the game.
The Bison did put together a nice two-out rally in the seventh, but reliever Kumar Nambiar got pinch hitter Jared Drizin to fly out to center with the bases loaded to end the game. It was Nambiar's first save of the season.
Bucknell and Yale will wrap up their four-game weekend series Sunday with another doubleheader at noon at Depew Field. Fans can listen to the game on 90.5 WVBU FM and BucknellBison.com.
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