Bucknell University
5-27, 1-6
Army
9-24, 1-1
Bucknell Softball Opens Army Series with Losses in Saturday Doubleheader
4/9/2022 7:15:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell softball team nearly pulled out a doubleheader split with Army on Saturday afternoon at Becker Field, but the Black Knights erased a late Bison comeback in game two to win the first two games of the weekend series. Army held Bucknell off the scoreboard to win 5-0 in game one before winning 4-3 in the second game.
Kaiya Burton and Olivia Marinelli each received losses in the circle, and Bucknell fell to 1-7 in Patriot League play. Army improved to 2-1 in the league.
The two teams will meet again for a single game at noon on Sunday to close out the weekend series.
Game Two: Army 4, Bucknell 3
After scoring three unanswered runs to lead 3-2 in the second game, Bucknell was one strike away from ending things in the top of the seventh and salvaging a Saturday doubleheader split. Army, however, hit a double to left field that scored two and ended up winning the contest. Bison left fielder Ava Aguilar made an outstanding effort to make the catch on the play, but the ball bounced off her glove.
Bucknell had trailed 2-0 early in the game and was still seeking its first hit of the game before it scored one run in the bottom of the fourth and two in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead. Burton posted a solid outing in the circle, despite allowing the two early runs and 11 hits in 6.1 innings pitched. She threw three strikeouts and allowed no walks before being replaced. Nicole Rivait and Chase Knapp both went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Army jumped out to a 1-0 lead after opening the game with a pair of doubles and a single in the top of the first. Another run scored on a Bucknell fielding error to put the Bison in an early 2-0 hole.
Bucknell's first eight batters of the game were retired in order before Annabella Hawkins reached on a walk in the third inning to represent the team's first baserunner. It wasn't until the bottom of the fourth when Bucknell saw its first hit, which was a double to right field by Knapp that drove in a run and cut the deficit to 2-1.
After a scoreless fifth inning, the Bison began to rally with four more hits in the bottom of the sixth. Rivait led off the inning with a bunt single, and Knapp posted her second hit of the game to put runners on second and third. With two outs the Bison brought in Jessie Kincer to pinch hit, and the rookie came up big with a single to left field that loaded the bases.
Facing two strikes and two outs, rookie shortstop Juliette Basso hit another single to right field that sent two runners across home plate and gave Bucknell its first lead of the day at 3-2.
Bison take the lead! Juliette Basso sends two across with two outs in the bottom of the sixth!
— Bucknell Softball (@Bucknell_SB) April 9, 2022
Watch: https://t.co/PPXDx3ajF3 pic.twitter.com/e1dmwoSBtD
Burton managed to get one out in the top of the seventh, but Army got two runners on with a pair of singles before Toomey came in to relieve. Toomey struck out the first batter she faced before Army's Madi Gilmore sent the game-winning double to left.
Bucknell faced two outs once again in the bottom of the seventh when Rivait, who represented the game-tying run, doubled to left field to keep the Bison hopes alive. Zoie Smith flew out to center field in the final at-bat to end the game.
Game One: Army 5, Bucknell 0
The first game on Saturday was a defensive battle through the first two and a half innings before Army hung three runs on the board in the top of the third and two more in the top of the fourth. Bucknell struggled to just four hits and was unable to do any damage on the scoreboard.
Marinelli threw 2.1 innings, allowing two hits, two runs and a pair of walks before being replaced by Toomey.
Army took advantage of a walk, a pair of doubles and a single in the top of the third inning to lead 3-0. Bucknell led off the bottom half of the third with back-to-back singles, but the Black Knights recorded three straight outs to get out of the jam.
Army added two more runs on another double and two singles in the fourth. The teams would combine for just two more hits over the final three and a half innings, allowing Army to hold on for the win.
Bucknell's Madison Roukey threw the final three innings of the game, allowing just the one hit and walking none while throwing a strikeout. Smith accounted for two of Bucknell's four hits.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Duong, Jolie (5-8)
L: Marinelli, Olivia (0-7)
Batting:
2B: Edwards, Kayla 2 ; Hurst, Leila 1 ; Wilkes, Maddie 1 ; Caldwell, Ellie 1
RBI: Edwards, Kayla 2 ; Hurst, Leila 1 ; Wilkes, Maddie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Duong, Jolie 1 ; Edwards, Kayla 1 ; Hurst, Leila 1 ; Caldwell, Ellie 1 ; Mitchell, Brook 1
SB: Little, Lauren 1 ; Mitchell, Brook 1
Batting:
2B: Smith, Zoie 1
