Friday, February 21
Charlottesville, VA
3 p.m.
Bucknell University
1-4
5
at
6
Virginia
3-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
BUCKNELL
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
2
1
5
4
2
Virginia
0
4
0
0
2
0
0
0
X
6
6
1
Baseball's Late Comeback Falls Just Short at Virginia
2/21/2020 6:44:00 PM | Baseball
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Bucknell University baseball team fell 6-5 to the University of Virginia in game one of a four-game set at Disharoon Park on Friday afternoon. A second-inning grand slam by the Cavaliers gave Virginia an early cushion, but Bucknell scored five unanswered runs combined in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, and loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth, as it fell by the one-run score.
The Bison fall to 1-4 this season overall.
Virginia threatened to pull away early on as it used four runs in the second inning to take what seemed to be a commanding lead. A walk and a hit by pitch to open the inning were rounded off by a bunt single to third base before Devin Ortiz hit a grand slam to clear the bases and give the Cavaliers an early advantage.
Starting pitcher Jack Simpson settled into the game however, keeping the Cavaliers from threatening until the fifth inning. An error by the Bison allowed Virginia's Zack Gelof to reach first, before he stole second. Two RBI singles knocked in two runs, both unearned, as the Bison faced a 6-0 deficit through five. Simpson was replaced in the seventh by fellow senior and Charlottesville native Matt Shobe after throwing 103 pitches while allowing five hits and four earned.
Bucknell, which has battled back to tie the game in two of its three defeats so far this season, chipped away at the Virginia lead in the top of the sixth. Senior Tyler Wincig walked to start the inning on four straight pitches, followed up by a Chris Cannizzaro double to left that put both in scoring position. Back-to-back RBI ground outs by JohnPaul Bell and Kendall Pierson brought both runners home as Bucknell pulled within four, 6-2.
Much like Sunday's come-from-behind effort against NJIT, the Bison scored multiple runs in the eighth inning. This time the Bison did their damage with two outs. Bell used a six-pitch walk to start things off before being moved to second as Pierson singled through the right side. The Cavaliers seemed to end the inning unscathed, but a dropped fly ball hit by Peter Marren to center allowed by Bell and Jacob Terwilliger, pinch running for Pierson, to score.
The Bison then managed to load the bases on back-to-back walks, but the Cavaliers escaped the inning as Virginia brought in Stephen Schoch, who used a strike out to end the frame.
Bucknell had a great chance to tie or take the lead in the top of the ninth after Shobe, who allowed just one baserunner through his two innings of work, kept Virginia off the board to give Bucknell a chance in its final at bats.
The Bison had the top of the order up in the ninth, with Evan Madigan leading off with a seven-pitch walk, before Wincig singled through the right side. Cannizzaro was then hit on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases with nobody out.
After a strikeout by the Bison, freshman Kyle Lyons, who entered the game earlier as a defensive replacement, knocked afielder's choice to the shortstop that put Cannizzaro out at second. However, the speedy Lyons managed to beat the potential double-play throw at first to extend the game as Madigan scored from third to pull Bucknell within one. Bucknell couldn't plate the tying run however, as a strikeout ended the contest.
Bucknell managed four hits on the day, with a hit each from Wincig, Cannizzaro, Bell, and Pierson. Bell, Pierson, and Lyons each tallied an RBI. Bucknell left ten men on base, and drew eight walks.
Bucknell will return to action on Saturday for a doubleheader against the Cavaliers as part of a four-game series.
The Bison fall to 1-4 this season overall.
Virginia threatened to pull away early on as it used four runs in the second inning to take what seemed to be a commanding lead. A walk and a hit by pitch to open the inning were rounded off by a bunt single to third base before Devin Ortiz hit a grand slam to clear the bases and give the Cavaliers an early advantage.
Starting pitcher Jack Simpson settled into the game however, keeping the Cavaliers from threatening until the fifth inning. An error by the Bison allowed Virginia's Zack Gelof to reach first, before he stole second. Two RBI singles knocked in two runs, both unearned, as the Bison faced a 6-0 deficit through five. Simpson was replaced in the seventh by fellow senior and Charlottesville native Matt Shobe after throwing 103 pitches while allowing five hits and four earned.
Bucknell, which has battled back to tie the game in two of its three defeats so far this season, chipped away at the Virginia lead in the top of the sixth. Senior Tyler Wincig walked to start the inning on four straight pitches, followed up by a Chris Cannizzaro double to left that put both in scoring position. Back-to-back RBI ground outs by JohnPaul Bell and Kendall Pierson brought both runners home as Bucknell pulled within four, 6-2.
Much like Sunday's come-from-behind effort against NJIT, the Bison scored multiple runs in the eighth inning. This time the Bison did their damage with two outs. Bell used a six-pitch walk to start things off before being moved to second as Pierson singled through the right side. The Cavaliers seemed to end the inning unscathed, but a dropped fly ball hit by Peter Marren to center allowed by Bell and Jacob Terwilliger, pinch running for Pierson, to score.
The Bison then managed to load the bases on back-to-back walks, but the Cavaliers escaped the inning as Virginia brought in Stephen Schoch, who used a strike out to end the frame.
Bucknell had a great chance to tie or take the lead in the top of the ninth after Shobe, who allowed just one baserunner through his two innings of work, kept Virginia off the board to give Bucknell a chance in its final at bats.
The Bison had the top of the order up in the ninth, with Evan Madigan leading off with a seven-pitch walk, before Wincig singled through the right side. Cannizzaro was then hit on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases with nobody out.
After a strikeout by the Bison, freshman Kyle Lyons, who entered the game earlier as a defensive replacement, knocked afielder's choice to the shortstop that put Cannizzaro out at second. However, the speedy Lyons managed to beat the potential double-play throw at first to extend the game as Madigan scored from third to pull Bucknell within one. Bucknell couldn't plate the tying run however, as a strikeout ended the contest.
Bucknell managed four hits on the day, with a hit each from Wincig, Cannizzaro, Bell, and Pierson. Bell, Pierson, and Lyons each tallied an RBI. Bucknell left ten men on base, and drew eight walks.
Bucknell will return to action on Saturday for a doubleheader against the Cavaliers as part of a four-game series.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McGarry, G. (2-0)
L: Simpson, Jack (0-2)
S: Schoch, S. (2)
Batting:
2B: Cannizzaro, Chris 1
RBI: Bell, JohnPaul 1 ; Pierson, Kendall 1 ; Lyons, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Madigan, Evan 1 ; Wincig, Tyler 1 ; Cannizzaro, Chris 1 ; Bell, JohnPaul 1 ; Terwilliger, Jacob 1
HBP: Cannizzaro, Chris 1 ; Yu, Eunsang 1
Batting:
2B: Michaels, L. 1
HR: Ortiz, D. 1
RBI: Rivoli, B. 1 ; Lebreux, M. 1 ; Ortiz, D. 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Gelof, Z. 1 ; Rivoli, B. 2 ; Michaels, L. 1 ; Lebreux, M. 1 ; Ortiz, D. 1
SB: Kent, N. 1 ; Gelof, Z. 1 ; Rivoli, B. 1 ; Newell, C. 2
HBP: Kent, N. 1 ; Michaels, L. 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
lf/rf
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
cf/lf
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
1B/3B
/ Baseball
1B/C
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
P/INF
/ Baseball(Coaches Camera) Salem Men's Water Polo Vs. Gannon (9/21/25)
Monday, September 15
Salem Men's Water Polo Vs. Gannon (9/21/25)
Monday, September 15
(Coaches Camera) Bucknell Men's Water Polo Vs. Wagner (9/21/25)
Monday, September 15
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Vs. Wagner (9/21/25)
Monday, September 15