Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Virginia
Softball Set for Five Games at UNCG Invitational
2/24/2022 1:20:00 PM | Softball
Setting the Scene
What:Â UNCW Invitational
Where:Â UNCG Softball Stadium (Greensboro, N.C.)
When:Â Feb. 25-27
Tournament Central:Â UNCGSpartans.com
Bucknell Schedule (All Times EST)
Friday, Feb. 25
5 p.m. | vs. Virginia (5-5) |Â Live Stats
7:30 p.m. | vs. Loyola Chicago (2-3) |Â Live StatsÂ
Saturday, Feb. 26
5 p.m. | at UNC Greensboro (5-4) |Â Live Stats
7 p.m. | vs. Loyola Chicago (2-3) |Â Live StatsÂ
Sunday, Feb. 27
9 a.m. | vs. Towson (1-8) |Â Live StatsÂ
About the Bison
• Bucknell heads to Greensboro, N.C. for a busy weekend of five games at the UNCG Invitational. It's Bucknell's third weekend of competition, and the team will take next weekend off before heading to Florida for spring break.
• Bucknell collected its first two wins of the season at the UNCW Invitational last weekend, bringing its record to 2-6 this spring. Bucknell won 2-1 over Marist and 8-4 over UNCW on Saturday, and both games went to an eighth inning. The Bison then fell to both opponents on Sunday.
• Bucknell saw a number of strong performances last time out, including a 5-for-15 weekend at the plate for junior Chase Knapp. Knapp posted hits in all four games and went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a pair of RBIs in the win over Seahawks. She's second on the roster in batting average (.280) and is tied for the team lead with three RBIs this season. Knapp also has Bucknell's lone home run.
• Senior Nicole Rivait also has three RBIs and is hitting a team-best .320. The Preseason All-Patriot League selection was outstanding in the UNCW victory, going 4-for-5 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. Half of Rivait's eight hits this season have gone for extra bases.
• Junior Kailyn Lorberter also posted a pair of solid games last weekend, going 2-for-4 with an RBI in the UNCW win and 2-for-3 with a double against Marist on Sunday morning.
• Senior Sarah Baluch and rookie MaKenzie Hilling are the other two Bison to record RBIs this spring.
• Hilling made all four starts at catcher last weekend, and three members of the rookie class have started six or more games.
• Senior ace Kelly Toomey saw time in the circle in all four games last weekend, racking up 15 strikeouts in 15.2 innings pitched and two wins. She went all eight innings in Bucknell's win over UNCW. Toomey is now 6-6 in her career with the Bison.
• Junior Kaiya Burton threw 11.1 innings, including the first six of the Marist win. She totaled eight strikeouts for the weekend.
Scouting the Opponents
• Virginia – The Cavaliers are 5-5 on the early season and went 3-2 last weekend at the Charleston Southern tournament. Freshman Sarah Coon and redshirt-freshman Lauren Vanassche are both batting better than .340 through 10 games, and Vanassche leads the team with 12 hits. Sophomore Savanah Henley has started a team-high four games for the Cavaliers, and Virginia has a team ERA of 3.50.
• Loyola Chicago – The Ramblers are 2-3 after beginning their season at the Joanne Graf Classic in Tallahassee, Fla. last weekend. Both of their victories came over Mercer. As a team, the Ramblers are batting .248 led by seniors Madison Ebeling (.357) and Nova Sinskul (.357). They have a team ERA of 5.25, and Caitlin Engelking (7.07 ERA) has started a team-high three games.
• UNC Greensboro – UNC Greensboro, the tournament host, is 5-4 this spring and went 4-1 at last weekend's Spiro Classic at home. Junior Maycin Brown is hitting .448 for the season, leading a Spartans team that is batting .272. The Spartans have racked up 10 runs twice this season in wins over Rider and George Washington. UNC Greensboro has a team ERA of 3.15, and rookie Reese Byrd leads the roster (1.89 ERA) while starting four games.
• Towson – Towson earned its first win of the season on Sunday, defeating Western Carolina 2-1, but the Tigers are just 1-8 through the first two weeks of the season. Three of Towson's games have been decided by a single run. The Tigers are batting .242 for the season, and rookie Sydni Byers is hitting a team-high .474 in six starts.Â
Series History with the Opponents
• Bucknell is 0-2 against Virginia, and the team's played both games during the 2020 season. Bucknell was close in both contests, falling 2-1 in each.
• Bucknell has faced Loyola Chicago just once, falling 6-0 back in 1999.
• Saturday will be the fourth all-time meeting between Bucknell and UNCG. The Spartans have won all three matchups, including a 9-6 victory in 2014.
• The Bucknell-Towson series goes back to 1983, and the two teams have met 57 times in total. Bucknell won the most recent meeting 9-1 in the 2020 season opener. Prior to 2020, Towson had won 11 in a row over the Bison.
Up Next
Bucknell has next weekend off before heading to Florida for spring break. Bucknell will play seven games in Madeira, Fla. and Jacksonville, Fla. before visiting Chattanooga, Tenn. For the Chatty's Patty's tournament.
