Softball Earns First Patriot League Win in 8-0 Shutout Against Holy Cross

Sunday, March 27

Lewisburg, Pa.

1 p.m.

Bucknell University

4-22, 1-2

Holy Cross

7-17, 2-1

Holy Cross

Bucknell

Softball Earns First Patriot League Win in 8-0 Shutout Against Holy Cross

3/27/2022 4:19:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell softball concluded its weekend with an 8-0 victory over Holy Cross to collect its first Patriot League win of the season at Becker Field on Sunday. The Bison posted six of their nine hits and seven of their eight runs in the bottom of the first inning, and rookie Madison Roukie went all five innings in the circle, collecting the first win and shutout of her career.

Four of Bucknell's hits were doubles, and three Bison reached on walks. Six different Bucknell players ended up with hits, while Elena Horn, Makenzie Hilling and Zoie Smith each finished with multiple hits in the game.

Roukie tossed three strikeouts and gave up five hits while walking none. With the win, Bucknell improved to 1-2 in league play after dropping both games of a doubleheader against the Crusaders on Saturday.

After Bucknell retired the Crusaders in order in the top of the first, it batted around the order in the bottom half to jump out to a huge lead. Bucknell's seven runs in the first were one shy of its season-high for a game in 2022.

Bucknell's first four batters of the game reached successfully, and the first two runs made it home on just the third at-bat of the half inning. With runners on second and third, Nicole Rivait laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring in one run, and a mishandling of the ball between the Holy Cross catcher and pitcher allowed another to score. The Bison collected three runs off three Holy Cross errors in the inning.

Bucknell also added runs on three consecutive doubles by Bella Radican, Annabella Hawkins and Horn. Horn finished the three-game series against Holy Cross with four hits, a walk and an RBI. The Crusaders finally stopped the bleeding when Hilling flew out to left field on her second at-bat in the bottom of the first.

Holy Cross saw its first hit of the game in the top of the second but nothing more, and Bucknell added an eighth run in the bottom half after the Crusaders' pitcher was replaced. After Bucknell's first batter grounded out in the second, Smith added yet another double and eventually scored following two wild pitches.

Bucknell added just one more hit in the third, but the eight runs were enough to seal the win as the defense held Holy Cross in check. The Crusaders had their best scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth following a leadoff double and a single to center field before the next three batters were retired in order. It was also a 1-2-3 top of the fifth that put the game away.

Holy Cross pitcher Kelly Nelson, who was named Patriot League Preseason Pitcher of the Year, received the loss after lasting just one inning and allowing two earned runs.

Bucknell heads to State College, Pa. on Tuesday, March 29 to play a single game at Penn State, where head coach Sarah Caffrey served as an assistant from 2015 to 2020. Tuesday's game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.