Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Holy Cross
Baseball Falls Twice to Holy Cross in Extra Innings
4/23/2016 8:56:00 PM | Baseball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell and Holy Cross were scheduled to play 16 innings of baseball on Saturday at Depew Field, but the teams went to extra innings in both ends of a doubleheader and played 24 innings. The Crusaders won both contests, claiming the opener 3-0 in 10 innings and winning the nightcap 10-6 in 14 innings.
The seven-inning game one was a pitcher's duel between Bison starter Andrew Andreychik and Holy Cross starter Brendan King as the score was tied 0-0 heading to extra innings. Andreychik allowed just four hits and struck out eight in nine innings of work, while King allowed five hits and struck out six in 7.2 innings. The game was decided in the 10th inning after both starters had exited when Holy Cross second baseman Cam O'Neill hit a two-out bases-clearing three-run double.
In the nightcap, the Bison forced extra innings with a run in the bottom of the ninth. Bucknell had chances to score in extra innings, but Holy Cross broke through first with four runs in the top of the 14th. The go-ahead runs scored on a two-run double down the right field line by Thomas Russo. The Crusaders then tacked on a pair of insurance runs.
Brett Smith was 4-for-8 with a pair of two-hit games in the doubleheader for the Bison, extending his hitting streak to 19 games. Joe Ogren was 6-for-10, including 4-for-6 in the second game. Those two hitters at the top of the lineup combined for 10 of Bucknell's 18 hits on the day.
The pitching was the story of game one. Andreychik allowed two soft first-inning hits and then did not allow another baserunner until the eighth inning. He retired 20 in a row in between. The senior closed his day by getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth by striking out Alex Voitik.
King allowed no more than one baserunner in any inning before departing two outs into the eighth after a Smith single through the left side. George Capen (2-3) pitched the final 2.1 innings, retiring seven of the eight hitters he faced to pick up his second win of the year.
Holy Cross scored its runs in the top of the 10th against Bison reliever Danny Rafferty (1-3). The first two batters reached against him, and O'Neill's double to left cleared the bases and broke the scoreless tie.
Capen sent the bottom third of the Bison lineup down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 10th.
Holy Cross (20-22, 9-5) got on the board first in game two with three runs in the top of the second against Bucknell (16-26, 7-7 PL) starter Connor Van Hoose. Van Hoose settled down and retired 12 of the final 14 hitters he faced before giving way to Mike Castellani to start the seventh inning.
With Van Hoose keeping the Crusaders in check, the Bucknell offense gave the Bison the lead. Tommy Pennington had a sac fly and Ogren knocked in a run with an infield single in the second, while Sam Clark's two-run homer in the third staked the Bison to a 4-3 lead. Rafferty later scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Luke Johnson to make it 5-3.
Castellani (3-4), who later settled down and had an impressive 7.1-inning relief outing, was touched for three runs in the seventh. O'Neill had an RBI single and Anthony Critelli's two-run double with two outs gave Holy Cross the lead again at 6-5.
The score remained that way until the bottom of the ninth. Smith led off the frame with a single to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ogren followed with a hard single through the right side, plating Smith with the tying run.
In extra innings, the Bison went down 1-2-3 in the 10th, 12th, and 14th, but left five men on base total in the 11th and 13th innings. Bucknell loaded the bases in the 11th with none out, but Capen, who totaled 4.1 innings on the day, retired three straight Bison to send the game to the 12th.
Smith and Ogren led off the 13th with a hit by pitch and a walk, but they were stranded on first and second by relief pitcher Joe Cravero (4-1), who earned the win by not allowing a hit or a run in two innings of work.
After Holy Cross scored its four runs in the top of the 14th, Pat McGowan sent the Bison down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 14th for his first save of the year.
Castellani gave the Bison offense chances to win the game as he held Holy Cross to four hits from the eighth through the 13th innings. He had three 1-2-3 innings during that span and also stranded five Crusaders in scoring position during that same stretch.
Bucknell (14) and Holy Cross (13) stranded 27 total runners on base in the game, including 17 in scoring position.
The Bison are now in third place in the Patriot League standings, one game ahead of fourth-place Lafayette, which was swept by Lehigh on Saturday. Navy is in first place with a 10-4 league mark, while Holy Cross is one game behind in second.
Bucknell and Holy Cross will conclude their four-game series with a doubleheader Sunday at Depew Field starting at noon. Both games will be broadcast live on WVBU 90.5 FM and BucknellBison.com. Fans can also listen via wvbu.com.
