Baseball Falls in Two Close Games at Navy

Sunday, March 17

Annapolis, MD

12 P.M.

Bucknell University

Navy

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

3/17/2019 9:40:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Bucknell University baseball team dropped two close games to close its four-game series at Navy on Sunday afternoon.

Game One: Navy 6, Bucknell 3.

The Bison pulled back three runs in the fifth inning to cut the Navy lead to three, but couldn't put the finishing touches on a rally that fell short as Navy took the first game of the day, 6-3.

The Mids managed a run each in the first two innings and added four more in the third as it took an early 6-0 lead over Bucknell, capitalizing on an error by the Bison as well as a two-run home run.

Bucknell made its move in the top of the fifth after Will Gannon started the inning off with a single through the right side before Jared Drizin walked on four straight pitches to put runners on first and second with no outs. Caleb Broughton stepped up and delivered an RBI single to center field that helped Gannon score from second and allowed Drizin to move to second.

After a ground out moved the runners a base, Jack Schuler belted a two-RBI double to right center that scored the two baserunners and cut the Navy lead to 6-3 after five.

However, that's the closest the Bison would get in the seven-inning contest as Navy managed to allow just one base runner, a Luke Hartman double in the seventh, to hold on for the win.

The Bison managed five hits overall with Hartman, Schuler, Dominic Toso, Broughton, and Gannon each collecting a hit. Jack Simpson (1-3) took the loss on the bump for the Bison. Nicholas Sadd pitched 3.2 innings of relief in the loss for Bucknell while not allowing a hit and striking out two.

Game Two: Navy 11, Bucknell 10
A wild-scoring affair between Bucknell and Navy in the series finale went the Mids way once again as Bucknell came within one run in the eighth inning after trailing for the last four innings. A seven-run fourth inning was the difference for the Mids, who went on to take an 8-6 lead after previously trailing 6-1 in the frame and hang on for the 11-10 win.

Things started positively for the Bison in the first inning, as Alex Baumann ripped an RBI double down the right field line that scored Luke Hartman to give Bucknell a 1-0 lead. A double steal by Evan Madigan at second and Baumann at home allowed Bucknell to score another run and take a 2-0 lead after one.

Bucknell extended its lead to 4-0 in the third inning when Madigan pushed a single to right field that scored Schuler and Hartman.

Navy pulled a run back in the third on a triple that was allowed to score on a throwing error by a Bison player.

Bucknell added two more runs on an RBI double by Hartman and an RBI ground out by Schuler to give the Bison a 6-1 lead.

The Mids then took an 8-6 lead after seven runs in the fourth inning.

The Bison responded in the fifth on an RBI triple from Jared Drizin to left field that allowed Will Gannon to score and made the score 8-7 in favor of Navy.

Navy scored a single unearned run in the sixth before adding two more runs on a two-RBI single in the seventh to take an 11-7 lead.

However, the Bison wouldn't go away quietly, as they managed to score three runs in the top of the eighth to cut the Navy lead to 11-10. Luke Hartman scored Drizin on an RBI ground out from third, before Baumann came up big again with a double to left field that scored Schuler and Broughton.

The Bison couldn't find the tying run in the top of the ninth however, as Bucknell was retired in order to end the game.

Bucknell managed 14 hits on the day to Navy's 11, but the Mids managed to take advantage of three Bucknell errors in the defeat.

Baumann finished 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI, while Madigan and Hartman each notched two RBIs. Hartman, Drizin, and Broughton each picked up two hits for Bucknell in the loss. Nate Grisius (1-2) took the loss on the mound for Bucknell.

The Bison will have a short turnaround as they travel to Olean, N.Y. to take on St. Bonaventure on Tuesday before hosting Saint Joseph's on Wednesday at Depew Field.