Bucknell Baseball Takes Series Finale Over Navy, 10-3

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell University baseball team capped a solid weekend with a 10-3 win over Navy in an important divisional game on a cloudy day at Depew Field Sunday afternoon. The Bison offense tied its season-high 14 hits in the victory, and seven different Bison had multi-hit outings as Bucknell broke open a 1-1, tightly-contested game with a five-run fifth.

Bucknell (8-16, 8-12 PL) defeated Navy (11-7, 6-7 PL) for the second time in the three-game series this weekend, and the Bison have now won three of their last four outings. Bucknell also improves to 5-7 in home games this year.

The game started off well for both starting pitchers, with Chris DiFiore, the reigning Patriot League Pitcher of the Week, getting the nod. DiFiore threw four innings overall with a strikeout and four hits allowed.

Navy threatened to break open a 0-0 game after loading the bases in the fourth with two outs on a single, a walk, and a hit batter. However, DiFiore managed to escape the situation unscathed as Navy's Kyle Rausch hit a ball to left field that was caught by a sliding Jacob Corson.

Bucknell opened its scoring in the fourth, when Jacob Terwilliger singled to center field to score Kendall Pierson. Pierson, who singled and then stole second, was moved to third by a single from Henry Novicki before touching home on Terwilliger's hit for a 1-0 Bison lead.

Navy tied the game in the fifth on a single by catcher Christian Policelli, before the Bison bats picked up in the fifth.

Bucknell managed five hits in the frame, including four straight to start the inning. Caleb Broughton started things off with a single, before scoring later on in the inning by a single by Chris Cannizzaro. Anthony Sherwin, who doubled earlier in the inning, then touched home on a well-executed hit and run by the Bison. Bucknell added three more runs in the inning courtesy of an RBI groundout by Pierson, a single by Terwilliger, and a wild pitch by the Mids.

The Bison added one more run in the sixth on an RBI single by Marren to the shortstop to take a 7-1 lead.

Navy pulled two runs back in the seventh after pinch hitter Dalton Jackson hit a two-RBI single to pull within 7-3.

Bucknell pulled away in the seventh with three more runs to round out the scoring, all with two outs. Eighth hitter Broughton managed his second single of the day to start things off, before Sherwin, batting in the nine hole, also singled. Cannizzaro doubled both home before an RBI triple from Jacob Corson added Bucknell's final run of the inning.

Seven Bison managed at least two hits in the win, with Cannizzaro (2-for-5) leading the way with two runs scored and three RBIs. Bucknell's first three batters of Cannizzaro, Corson, and Marren combined to go 6-for-14 from the plate with six RBIs in the win.

Graeme Carroll (1-1) earned the win for hist first career victory after replacing DiFiore in the fifth, pitching three innings and striking out three. Bryce Reimer and Andrew Funovits each pitched a clean inning in relief in the eighth and ninth, respectively.

Bucknell will now look ahead to another critical matchup against Lehigh on Saturday, April 24. The Mountain Hawks currently lead the Patriot League Southern Division with a 10-6 record.

Bucknell Baseball Takes Series Finale Over Navy, 10-3

Players Mentioned

Caleb Broughton

Chris Cannizzaro

Graeme Carroll

Jacob Corson

Chris DiFiore

Andrew Funovits

Henry Novicki

Kendall Pierson

Bryce Reimer

Anthony Sherwin

Jacob Terwilliger