Bucknell University
5-37, 1-14
Lehigh
22-14-1, 11-1
Softball Falls 4-0 to Lehigh in Home Finale
4/24/2022 2:59:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell softball team played its final home game of the season on Sunday, falling 4-0 to Lehigh at Becker Field. The Bison posted eight hits in the game but were unable to drive anybody in, leaving eight runners on base. Lehigh totaled 11 hits and scored two runs in the first and two more in the second while pitching its second consecutive shutout.
Bucknell's MaKenzie Hilling and Jessie Kincer each finished with a pair of hits, and one of Hillings went for a double.
Hunter Vestal made the start for the Bison and received the loss after allowing three earned runs in 2.1 innings. Olivia Marinelli and Kelly Toomey also made appearances, and Toomey threw three strikeouts while allowing just one hit over the final two innings. Lehigh's Katelyn Young went the distance for a second straight game, tossing eight strikeouts and improving to 13-5 on the season.
The Mountain Hawks got off to a hot start and scored their first pair of runs before an out was recorded in the game. They led off with a pair of singles, took advantage of a Bucknell error and added another single to take the early lead. Bucknell turned a double play to end the first frame.
Hilling's double came in the bottom of the first, but she was thrown out at third attempting to turn it into a triple. The Bison saw another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second when they loaded the bases with one out thanks to a Chase Knapp single, a Lehigh error and a Sarah Baluch single to left. A strikeout and a groundout to second base ended the inning before anybody could make it home.
Lehigh extended its lead in the top of the third with four straight singles to take a 4-0 advantage, bringing Marinelli into the circle. The Mountain Hawks were held off the scoreboard over the final four innings.
Bucknell added two more hits in the third, one in the fourth, one in the sixth and another in the seventh, but they were unable to string enough together to get on the board.
The Bison head to Lafayette next weekend for their final series of the season. They'll play a doubleheader against the Leopards beginning at noon on Saturday, April 30 before wrapping up the season with a single game on Sunday, May 1.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Young, Katelyn (13-5)
L: Vestal, Hunter (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Cimino, Emily 1
RBI: Cimino, Emily 1 ; Kittel, Addie 1 ; O'Rourke, Karsen 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Barjaktarovich, C. 1 ; Cimino, Emily 1 ; Chesson, Jaelynn 1 ; Kittel, Addie 1
SB: Barjaktarovich, C. 1
Batting:
2B: Hilling, MaKenzie 1
