Bucknell University
5-29, 1-8
Army
12-23, 3-1
Softball Falls 5-4 in Extra-Inning Affair vs. Army
4/10/2022 3:28:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Chase Knapp singled up the middle in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive in the game-tying run and force an extra frame with Army at Becker Field on Sunday, but the Black Knights ultimately came away with the 5-4 win after scoring in the top of the eighth and securing the series sweep.
The Bison trailed 4-0 in the game before posting three runs in the fifth and the one in the seventh. They held an 11-10 edge in hits and threw a combined five strikeouts. Junior Kaiya Burton ended up with the loss after giving up the lead in the final inning. Hunter Vestal, who started the game, and Madison Roukey each threw 3.2 innings.
With the loss, the Bison fell to 1-8 in league play. It was the team's fourth Patriot League loss that was decided by a single run.
Army scored the deciding run after leading off the eighth with a single and putting runners on second and third with a double. Army sophomore Ellie Caldwell grounded out in the next at-bat, but the Black Knights scored on the play to take the 5-4 lead.
Bucknell's hopes were still alive in the bottom of the eighth after Vestal reached on a double with nobody out, but the Bison were unable to bring her home.
Army took its initial 4-0 lead thanks to three hits, two Bucknell errors and a passed ball in the fourth inning. Bucknell responded in the fifth when its first two batters walked and were later driven in on a two-RBI double by MaKenzie Hilling. The Bison cut the deficit to one after a Nicole Rivait single and a sacrifice fly by Zoie Smith.
Trailing 4-3 and needing a run to stay alive in the bottom of the seventh, Rivait reached on an Army fielding error and was moved to second on another Smith single. Knapp's game-tying RBI one batter later was her second of the weekend.
Rivait, Smith, Sarah Baluch and Vestal all ended up with two hits in the loss, and Vestal walked once on the day to make for a solid outing after striking out two and allowing no earned runs in her start in the circle.
Army's Emily Iannotti earned the win and improved to 5-2 on the season.
Up next, Bucknell hosts Saint Francis at Becker Field for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 12. Game one is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., and both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Iannotti, Emily (5-2)
L: Burton, Kaiya (0-7)
Batting:
2B: Wilkes, Maddie 1 ; LaRusso, Julianna 1 ; Caldwell, Ellie 1
RBI: Caldwell, Ellie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gilmore, Madi 1 ; Little, Lauren 2 ; Snyder, Grace 1 ; Caldwell, Ellie 1
Batting:
2B: Hilling, MaKenzie 1 ; Vestal, Hunter 1
RBI: Hilling, MaKenzie 2 ; Smith, Zoie 1 ; Knapp, Chase 1
SH: Horn, Elena 1 ; Hawkins, Annabella 1
SF: Smith, Zoie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hilling, MaKenzie 1 ; Rivait, Nicole 1 ; Vestal, Hunter 1 ; Hawkins, Annabella 1
