Bison Softball Comes Up Short in 2-1 Loss to NC State

Sunday, February 23

Raleigh, N.C.

12:30 p.m.

Bucknell University

6-7

North Carolina State University

11-4

Bucknell

NC State

Bison Softball Comes Up Short in 2-1 Loss to NC State

2/23/2020 3:27:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. – Bucknell softball put itself in position to take the lead late against NC State in the final game of the Fairfield Crabtree Invitational, but fell 2-1 when the comeback came up short Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Bison fall to 6-8 on the season.

After falling behind 2-0 earlier in the game, the Bison loaded the bases with only one out in the top of the sixth. Bucknell cut NC State's lead in half when Nicole Rivait drew a walk, but it would be the only run the team produced in the game. Bucknell put two more runners on with singles in the seventh, but couldn't drive them home.

"The weekend obviously didn't go the way we wanted it to," said assistant coach Matt Burns. "The frustrating that is that a lot of our mistakes were self-inflicted."

The Wolfpack had taken a lead in the first inning when a sacrifice fly to right field scored the game's opening run. They earned another run in the fourth inning with a home run. In all, the Wolfpack finished with just four hits.

Kaiya Burton started in the circle for the Bison and threw three strikeouts and walked two. Burton's record goes to 2-1 with the loss. NC State's Sydney Nester improved to 6-2, and Devin Wallace was given the save.

"When you're facing good competition, you can't make mistakes and still win consistently," said Burns. "But the level of competition will make us better in the long run, and the exciting thing is that we can correct those self-inflicted issues."

Halie Mariano, Taylor Wolfgang, Chase Knapp, and Marisa Alemany all finished with hits for Bucknell, and Rivait had the only RBI. Three Bison also reached on walks.

"I know our players are excited to get back to campus and work really hard to improve these next couple of weeks before we get to the start of spring break. I also know that this team is very talented, and when we start to put it all together, it's going to be really fun showing up to the field every day," said Burns.

Bucknell's next game is not until March 7 when it challenges Rutgers in the first game of the Thundering Herd Round Robin in Huntington, W.Va. The Bison will also face Marshall twice that weekend.