Softball Concludes Green & Gold Classic, Going 0-2 Saturday

Saturday, February 12

Charlotte, N.C.

3 p.m.

Bucknell University

0-3

Charlotte

5-0

Bucknell

Charlotte

Photo by: Kyle Grice

Softball Concludes Green & Gold Classic, Going 0-2 Saturday

2/12/2022 9:48:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Bucknell softball team wrapped up the second day of the Green & Gold Classic on Saturday, falling to both UNC Charlotte and Notre Dame to move to 0-4 on the opening weekend. Bucknell held a brief lead in the first game of the day against the 49ers but let it slip away. Senior Nicole Rivait put together the most impressive day at the plate for the Bison, going 3-for-6 with three doubles.

Bucknell returns to North Carolina next weekend for four games in Wilmington. The Bison will face Marist and UNC Wilmington twice on Saturday, Feb. 19 and Sunday, Feb. 20.

Game One: UNC Charlotte 4, Bucknell 1

Bucknell jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning of game one, but the hosting 49ers went on to score runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to defeat the Bison 4-1.

UNC Charlotte posted 11 hits to Bucknell's four, and graduate student Amelia Wiercioch went the distance for her first win of the season. Bucknell senior Kelly Toomey pitched five innings and collected a pair of strikeouts.

Chase Knapp, Zoie Smith, Elena Horn and Rivait all posted one hit each, while Smith and Rivait's went for extra bases.

Smith opened the second inning with a leadoff double, and sophomore Annabella Hawkins entered the game to pinch run for the catcher. Hawkins advanced to third during a groundout in the next at-bat and scored on a Kailyn Lorberter sacrifice fly to left field.

The Bison added hits in the third, fifth and sixth innings but weren't able to string multiple together.

The 49ers tied the game at 1-1 with back-to-back walks to open the third inning, followed by a one-out single through the right side. They added another run in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of singles to take a 2-1 lead.

UNC Charlotte tacked on three more hits in the fifth and a leadoff home run in the sixth to arrive at the 4-1 final.

Game Two: Notre Dame 12, Bucknell 0

The Bison allowed 17 hits to Notre Dame and gave up runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings in game two. Bucknell collected five hits, including a pair of doubles by Rivait, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the ACC preseason favorite.

Rookie Madison Roukey got the start in the circle for Bucknell and went 2.1 innings, but she received the loss to move to 0-2 on the young season. Notre Dame's Shannon Becker pitched all five and posted six strikeouts to improve to 2-0.

Nine of Notre Dame's hits went for extra bases, including a pair of triples and one homer. Bucknell trailed by just five until a big five-hit, five-run fifth inning.

MaKenzie Hilling, Smith, Lorberter and Rivait accounted for Bucknell's five hits. Hunter Vestal and Olivia Marinelli also combined for 2.2 innings in the circle, and Marinelli posted Bucknell's only two strikeouts.