Bucknell University
5-35, 1-12
Lehigh
20-14-1, 9-1
Softball Drops First Two Games of Lehigh Series at Home
4/23/2022 6:04:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell softball team played the first two games of its series against Lehigh on Saturday at Becker Field and fell 11-10 in a back-and-forth affair in game one before dropping a 2-0 decision in game in two.
The Bison erased a 7-0 deficit in the first game of the day and carried a 10-9 lead into the seventh inning, but the Mountain Hawks scored two late runs to seal the victory. The Bison posted 11 hits in the contest.
Bucknell was held to just three hits in the second game, while Lehigh posted 10 hits and scored runs in the first and sixth innings to complete the shutout. The Mountain Hawks ended up with 28 hits in total on Saturday.
Bucknell returns to Becker Field on Sunday for its final home game of the season. The Mountain Hawks and the Bison square off at noon.
Game One: Lehigh 11, Bucknell 10
The Bison were held hitless and trailed 7-0 through three and a half innings before the offense woke up and scored seven unanswered between the fourth and fifth innings. They added three more in the sixth, but the magic ran out in the final inning.
Both teams rotated through their bullpens as both starters left the game before returning for the final stretch. Lehigh's Gabriella Nori was replaced in the fourth before returning in the bottom of the seventh to earn the save. Kelly Toomey threw the first two innings for the Bison before leaving the game and returning in the seventh.
Lehigh's Carley Barjaktarovich went 4-for-6 at the plate, while two others finished with three RBIs. Four different Bison posted two hits each, and Nicole Rivait and MaKenzie Hilling each recorded a pair of RBIs.
Lehigh was off to a fast start, scoring four runs on four hits and a three-run home run in the first inning. The Mountain Hawks then scored one in the second, one in the third and another in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead.
Hilling got the comeback started when she hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth with nobody out. It was the first home run of the rookie's career. The Bison added five more hits and walked twice in the frame to cut the deficit to 7-6.
Bucknell managed to hold Lehigh off the board in the top of the fifth, and Chase Knapp singled up the middle in the bottom half to tied the game.
Lehigh added two more runs on four hits and a walk in the top of the sixth to regain the lead, but the Bison stayed hot. With two on and two out in the bottom of the sixth, Rivait and Zoie Smith hit back-to-back RBI doubles to add three more runs and take a 10-9 lead.
Two singles, a walk and a Bucknell error allowed Lehigh to take the lead for good in the final inning at 11-10, and while the Bison put the potential tying run on second in the bottom of the seventh, they were unable to drive it in.
It was Bucknell's third straight single-run loss and its seventh in Patriot League play.
Game Two: Lehigh 2, Bucknell 0
Olivia Marinelli put up a solid effort in the circle in game two, allowing just two runs in 5.1 innings pitched in the defensive battle, but the offense was unable to match its success from game one. Lehigh's Katelyn Young threw all seven innings and allowed just three hits and two walks.
Lehigh scored its first run with a single and a double to lead off the game. Meanwhile, Bucknell saw just two baserunners through the first four and a half innings.
The Mountain Hawks struck again with a leadoff home run in the top of the sixth and totaled three hits in the inning, leaving three more on base.
Ava Aguilar went 2-for-3 in the game, while Annabella Hawkins added the other hit. Hawkins finished the day 3-for-6 with an RBI.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Young, Katelyn (11-5)
L: Burton, Kaiya (0-8)
S: Nori, Gabriella (3)
Batting:
2B: Cannon, Brooke 1 ; Kittel, Addie 1
3B: Dudley, Rory 1
HR: Chesson, Jaelynn 1
RBI: Cimino, Emily 1 ; Chesson, Jaelynn 3 ; Cannon, Brooke 1 ; O'Rourke, Karsen 1 ; Kittel, Addie 3 ; Charles, Josie 1
SH: O'Rourke, Karsen 1
SF: O'Rourke, Karsen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Barjaktarovich, C. 2 ; Cimino, Emily 1 ; Chesson, Jaelynn 1 ; Dudley, Rory 1 ; Cannon, Brooke 2 ; O'Rourke, Karsen 2 ; Greaney, Amanda 1 ; Martin, Lindsey 1
SB: Barjaktarovich, C. 1
Batting:
2B: Rivait, Nicole 1 ; Smith, Zoie 1
HR: Hilling, MaKenzie 1
RBI: Aguilar, Ava 1 ; Hilling, MaKenzie 2 ; Rivait, Nicole 2 ; Smith, Zoie 1 ; Knapp, Chase 1 ; Baluch, Sarah 1 ; Radican, Bella 1 ; Hawkins, Annabella 1
SH: Smith, Zoie 1 ; Baluch, Sarah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Aguilar, Ava 1 ; Hilling, MaKenzie 2 ; Rivait, Nicole 3 ; Knapp, Chase 1 ; Kincer, Jessie 1 ; Baluch, Sarah 1 ; Hawkins, Annabella 1
