Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Baseball Opens Patriot League Play with Doubleheader Split vs. Lehigh
4/2/2016 6:35:00 PM | Baseball
***Note: Sunday's Bucknell-Lehigh doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. at Depew Field***
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Spencer Stokes drove in a career-high four runs and Andrew Andreychik held Lehigh scoreless for the first six innings as the Bucknell baseball team defeated Lehigh 7-5 in the first game of a Patriot League doubleheader at Depew Field Saturday afternoon. The Mountain Hawks totaled 16 hits in the nightcap and defeated the Bison 10-1 to earn a split.
Stokes was 2-for-4 in the opener thanks to an RBI double in the first inning and a three-run triple in the fourth inning. Sam Clark was 2-for-2, while Joe Ogren was 1-for-2 with three runs scored as he also drew two walks. Stokes, Ogren and Clark each also had a hit apiece in the nightcap.
Connor Donovan had an impressive day for Lehigh (10-15, 1-1 PL) as he hit a grand slam in game one and hit two more solo home runs in game two. He finished the day 5-for-9 with six RBIs and three runs scored. Mike Garzillo had a team-high six hits on the day for the Mountain Hawks, including a 4-for-5 performance with four RBIs in the nightcap as he was a single shy of the cycle.
Andreychik (2-3) is tied for first place on Bucknell's career shutout list with five. He held Lehigh scoreless over the first six innings of the seven-inning game one as his offense built a 7-0 cushion. After a double play removed the first baserunner in the seventh, Andreychik was just one out away from his sixth shutout. However, the next five Lehigh hitters reached base, concluding with Donovan's grand slam that narrowed the score to 7-5. Jeff Gottesman then came in and struck out the second hitter he faced to stop the Lehigh rally and end the game as he picked up his first career save.
Andreychik earned his second win of the year as he struck out six and walked just two. He stranded eight Lehigh runners on base over the first six innings. No Mountain Hawk reached third base against him until the seventh inning.
Bucknell (10-17, 1-1 PL) scored runs in each of the first five innings to build its seven-run lead. The Bison benefitted from seven walks by Lehigh starter Kevin Long (0-3). Six of those seven walks came around to score, and he issued leadoff walks in the second, third and fourth innings.
Stokes had an RBI double in the first to put the Bison up 1-0. An RBI ground out by Luke Johnson in the second and an RBI ground out by Jon Mayer in the third made it 3-0.
Stokes then knocked a bases-clearing three-run triple in the fourth. Johnson, Brett Smith and Ogren had loaded the bases by drawing walks.
A single by Smith in the fifth that plated Johnson rounded out the scoring for Bucknell, which was outhit 10-8 in the contest. Four of the Bison's eight hits went for extra bases.
Lefty starter Sam Ashey (3-2) held the Bison offense in check in game two. Bucknell's only run was scored in the first inning when Smith led off with a triple and scored on a single by No. 2 hitter Danny Rafferty. The Bison had more than one baserunner in an inning just once the rest of the way.
Ashey pitched 7.0 innings and struck out three while walking two. Mark Washington relieved him to start the eighth inning and retired all six hitters he faced.
Lehigh's first seven hits in the game went for extra bases, including two home runs by Donovan and one more by Garzillo. The Mountain Hawks finished with 10 extra-base hits overall. They led 6-1 after six innings and put the game away with four more runs in the eighth.
Mike Castellani (3-3) started on the mound for Bucknell in game two. He allowed 11 hits and five runs while striking out two. Max Kra pitched really well in relief, retiring seven of the first nine hitters he faced before Lehigh got to him in the eighth. Mike Stephens and Austin Zimmerman pitched the final 1.2 innings and allowed just one hit.
With the win in game one, Bucknell improved to 10-3 in games it scores first this season.
The Bison have now played five doubleheaders this year and have split all five.
Bucknell and Lehigh will conclude their four-game series with another doubleheader Sunday at Depew Field. Both games will have audio an audio broadcast available on 90.5 WVBU FM and BucknellBison.com. The new start time is 1 p.m.
