Bucknell University
7-11, 0
Army West Point
5-14, 0
Bucknell Baseball Records Two Wins over Army on Saturday Afternoon
3/26/2022 7:19:00 PM | Baseball
Off to Best Patriot League Start Through Six Games Since 2014
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell University baseball team picked up two big Patriot League wins over Army on Saturday afternoon, taking victories by a score of 7-3 and 5-3, respectively. The Bison improve to 8-11 and 5-1 in the Patriot League overall on the young season, the best start by the program for a Patriot League campaign's first six games since the 2014 team started the Patriot League slate 6-0.
Game One: Bucknell 7, Army 3
Bucknell used a five-run sixth inning to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 7-3 win in game one of the day. The Bison capitalized on three errors in the inning, and were put ahead for good by a big two-RBI triple from Kyle Lyons down the right field line on Bucknell's final out and strike of the inning.
Bucknell tacked on two insurance runs in the frame on an error in the infield and an RBI double from Chris Cannizzaro to earn its fourth conference win of the season. Will Greer delivered another solid performance in moving to 3-0 on the season, with senior Andrew Funovits getting the final three outs for his first save of the campaign.
Bucknell took a 2-0 lead in the first, capitalizing on another error by the Black Knights in the frame. Cannizzaro and Jacob Corson each started the inning with singles on either side of a Grant Voytovich walk to load the bases, before Mason Kelly stung a sharply hit ball to left field that just hit off the Army outfielder's glove to score Cannizzaro from third.
Tyler Dunn then used a sac fly to score Voytovich one batter later to double Bucknell's advantage to 2-0 after one.
Army tied the game with two runs in the second, taking advantage of a hit by pitch and a single from Nick Manesis. Nine-hole hitter Braden Golinski then tripled to right center to even the score at two apiece.
Greer managed to keep the Black Knights off the board until the fifth, when Ross Friedrick used a sac fly to score Carter Macias to give Army a one-run advantage, 3-2.
Bucknell struck back in the sixth, taking the lead with five runs in the frame, all unearned. Kelly reached initially on an error by the Army infield, before a single by Dunn put two runners on.
After two Bucknell batters were retired, the Bison made their move when Lyons, down to his last strike in a full count, lined a triple down the right field line to score Kelly and Dunn and give Bucknell the lead. Another error in the infield by the Black Knights one batter later scored Lyons, before Cannizzaro doubled home Anthony Sherwin for Bucknell's sixth run. A third error by the Black Knights in the frame allowed Cannizzaro to touch home to round out Bucknell's scoring for the inning.
Greer retired four straight batters after giving up the third run, and was replaced by Andrew Funovits in the seventh after the Black Knights managed to get their first two runners on. Funovits sealed the deal, striking out all three batters he faced to earn his first save of the season.
Lyons posted another impressive day at the plate, going 3-for-3 in the win, which marks 14 hits in his last nine outings. Cannizzaro added two hits and two runs scored in the win.
Game Two: Bucknell 5, Army 3
Game two was highlighted by a three-hit day from Kendall Pierson along with a stellar pitching performance from first-year Tyler O'Neill, making his first career start for the Orange and Blue.
Bucknell scored runs in each of the first three innings in racing out to a 5-0 lead. Jacob Corson tripled down the right field line in the first, the third of his career, to score Cannizzaro for Bucknell's first run of the game. Kendall Piersosn then doubled home Brendan Lowery, who singled one batter before, for Bucknell's second run of the game in the second.
Pierson was on hand again to deliver the big blow to Army in the third, as his deep hit to center field took a hard bounce off the wall, allowing the senior to scamper around the bases for his first career home run at Depew Field inside the park that scored Lowery and Dunn to give Bucknell a 5-0 lead.
The five runs proved to be more than enough for O'Neill in his collegiate debut as a starter. After several relief outings to open his career, O'Neill was dealing through the first six innings, only allowing one hit through that time span. After a solo home run by Army's Nick Manesis in the seventh, O'Neill settled in once more, retiring six straight batters to end the seventh and the eighth and keep the Bucknell lead to four, 5-1.
The Black Knights did put a few runs across the board in the ninth on an RBI single from Manesis and an RBI double from Derek Berg, but O'Neill managed to finish the job after Army's Blake Ledoux lined out to Lowery for the final out at second.
O'Neill becomes Bucknell's first pitcher to pitch a nine-inning complete game since game one starter Greer accomplished the feat last season at Lehigh. The first-year struck out five batters to just four walks to earn his first career win.
Offensively, Pierson led the way for the Bison, going 3-for-4 from the plate and a triple short of the cycle after also posting a big series against the Black Knights at home last season. The senior added four RBIs, while Corson added Bucknell's other RBI in the victory. Lowery also added two hits and two runs scored as the duo of Pierson and Lowery combined to go 5-for-8 from the plate. Voytovich and Dunn also added hits in the win.
The Bison will have a quick turnaround, hosting Holy Cross for two games at Depew on Sunday to round out its Patriot League weekend starting at noon.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Greer, Will (3-0)
L: EARLY, Connelly (1-3)
S: Funovits, Andrew (1)
Batting:
2B: MEADE, Hunter 1 ; DUBRULE, Kevin 1
3B: GOLINSKI, Braden 1
RBI: FRIEDRICK, Ross 1 ; GOLINSKI, Braden 2
SF: FRIEDRICK, Ross 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MACIAS, Carter 1 ; MANESIS, Nick 1 ; CERRUTO, Cam 1
HBP: CERRUTO, Cam 1
PO: MANESIS, Nick 1
Batting:
2B: Cannizzaro, Chris 1
3B: Lyons, Kyle 1
RBI: Sherwin, Anthony 1 ; Cannizzaro, Chris 1 ; Kelly, Mason 1 ; Dunn, Tyler 1 ; Lyons, Kyle 2
SF: Dunn, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sherwin, Anthony 1 ; Cannizzaro, Chris 2 ; Voytovich, Grant 1 ; Kelly, Mason 1 ; Terwilliger, Jacob 1 ; Lyons, Kyle 1
SB: Cannizzaro, Chris 1 ; Voytovich, Grant 1 ; Lyons, Kyle 2
