Bucknell University
11-15, 0
Army
11-13, 0
Seventh-Inning Rallies Not Enough in Softball Doubleheader at Army
5/2/2021 5:05:00 PM | Softball
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Bucknell softball team concluded its weekend series at Army with a pair of narrow losses that came down to Bucknell's final batters. The Bison fell 3-1 in game one before dropping a 3-2 decision in game two.
Sarah Baluch finished with a team-high three hits, including one double and an RBI.
Bucknell returns to Becker Field next weekend for its final series of the regular season. Bucknell will host Colgate for doubleheaders on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8.
Game One: Army 3, Bucknell 1
The Bison and the Black Knights both went scoreless through five innings of the first game, but a three-run sixth for Army put Bucknell behind. The Bison added one run in the top of the seventh and had the tying run at the plate, but a strikeout ended the rally.
Kelly Toomey pitched all six innings and tossed five strikeouts while allowing seven hits. She moved to 4-2 on the season with the loss. Bucknell posted four hits with no errors.
After Bucknell allowed just two hits through the first five innings, Army burst onto the scene with five hits and three runs in the sixth. The first four Army batters singled, and three other runners reached on a fielder's choice, a bunt single and a hit-by-pitch, yielding a trio of runs.
Bucknell tried to make the most of its final three outs as Jazmyn Stokes led off the top of the seventh with a double, her third of the season. Tara Baglivo entered to pinch run, and she was sent to third by a Jess Hom single before being thrown out at the plate. A batter later, Baluch doubled to right field, scoring Hom. The final two Bison batters grounded out and stuck out to end the game.
Game Two: Army 3, Bucknell 2
Army scored two runs in the first inning and one in the sixth to put Bucknell behind 3-0 again in game two. This time, the Bison knocked in two runs in the top of the seventh and had the game-tying run on third base before the final out was made.
Baluch went 2-for-4 at the plate in game two, and Taylor Wolfgang had the team's only RBI. Rookie Hunter Vestal made the start in the circle and earned one run on four hits. Kaiya Burton pitched the final two innings. Bucknell recorded five hits and three errors in the contest.
Army's leadoff batter reached on a field error to begin the bottom of the first inning. Two Army doubles later the Bison found themselves down 2-0 heading into the second inning.
The Bison got runners on in each of the first three innings but were unable to send anybody across.
The next run wouldn't be scored until the bottom of the sixth when back-to-back Bucknell errors put runners on first and second. A fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly to center field gave the Black Knights their third run, and Bucknell once against needed to rally in the top of the seventh trailing by three.
Army got the first two Bucknell batters on pop ups in the seventh. With two away, Chase Knapp reached on a walk and was then driven in by a Wolfgang double. Wolfgang then scored on an error, and the Bison trailed by just one. A Baluch single and a wild pitch put the tying run on third, but the Bison's final batter fouled out to left field to end the afternoon.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Duong, Jolie (7-1)
L: Toomey, Kelly (4-2)
Batting:
2B: Stokes, Jazmyn 1 ; Baluch, Sarah 1
RBI: Baluch, Sarah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hom, Jess 1
HBP: Stokes, Jazmyn 1
Batting:
RBI: Edwards, Kayla 1 ; Grete, Alicyn 1 ; Gilmore, Madi 1
SF: Hurst, Leila 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Drayton, Taylor 1 ; Brock, Annie 1 ; Gilmore, Madi 1
HBP: Edwards, Kayla 3
