Saturday, April 22
Bethlehem, Pa.
12 p.m.
Bucknell University
17-20, 10-10
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Lehigh
18-21, 5-11
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Bucknell
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Photo by: Mady Salvani
Voytovich Homers Twice, Drives in Seven as Baseball Clips Lehigh 8-7; Game Two Suspended Due to Weather
4/22/2023 6:35:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A monster game at the plate by Grant Voytovich and clutch relief pitching from Theo Farynick and Ryan Osinski helped the Bucknell baseball team to a wild 8-7 win over Lehigh in the opener of a three-game weekend series on Saturday at Walker Field. The Mountain Hawks rallied for a 6-3 lead in game two when play was halted in the top of the seventh inning due to a thunderstorm.
The suspended game will resume at noon on Sunday, with the regularly scheduled series finale to follow.
Voytovich, who was coming off a four-hit game in Wednesday's 5-1 win over Navy, was at it again on Saturday. He provided the Bison with a quick lead with a three-run home run just three batters into game one, and then after the Mountain Hawks scored six unanswered runs to take a 6-4 lead, Voytovich walloped a go-ahead grand slam with one out in the sixth. That gave him a career-high seven runs batted in – one shy of the Bucknell record – and his second grand slam of the season, with the other coming in a win at Penn State.
Bucknell improved to 17-20 overall and 10-10 in the Patriot League, and the third-place Bison kept pace with closest pursuer Lafayette, which took its series opener from Holy Cross.
Bucknell 8, Lehigh 7 – Game 1
After Lehigh ace Luke Rettig hit the first two batters of the game, Voytovich yanked a pitch over the left-field wall to give the Bison a 3-0 lead before the fans had even found their seats. Anthony Sherwin added his second home run of the year to make it 4-0 in the second.
Bison starter Chris DiFiore (4-5) sailed through his first two innings, but in the third Patriot League home run and RBI leader Casey Rother got Lehigh back in it with a two-out, two-run homer. DiFiore worked a 1-2-3 fourth, but a couple of walks in the fifth led to the Mountain Hawks' second three-run homer of the game, this one from Rafe Perich, and Lehigh took its first lead of the day at 6-4.
The Bison got DiFiore off the hook in the sixth, and once again it was Voytovich with the big blow. The rally started with singles from No. 8 and 9 hitters Jake Wortman and Kyle Lyons. Sherwin followed with a bunt single, and after reliever Will Grisack (2-3) picked up a strikeout, Voytovich lost another ball over the wall in left to give the Bison an 8-6 lead.
Bucknell still had six big outs to get against the Patriot League's top offensive club, and the Farynick-Osinksi combo got the job done again. Farynick entered with two on and no outs in the sixth. Dom Patrizi moved the runners up with a bunt, and after a walk loaded the bases, Farynick struck out Tyler Young and then got the dangerous Rother to line out to Sean Keys at third.
The freshman Osinski came on for the seventh and was greeted by another home run from Perich, only the sixth hit and third extra-base hit off of Osinksi all season. One out later, Joe Gorla doubled, and then an error and stolen base put the tying and winning runs in scoring position. With the game on the line, Osinski struck out pinch-hitter Andrew Kohl and Petrizi to close out his fifth save of the season.
Sherwin and Voytovich both finished with three hits apiece, as the Bison out-hit Lehigh 11-7.
Lehigh 6, Bucknell 3 (Top 7th) – Game 2 (suspended due to weather)
For the second straight game the Bison jumped out to a 3-0 lead, this time with a second-inning rally. After singles by Tyler Dunn and Billy Kender, Chris Klein was hit by an Alex Bouchard pitch. Lyons drove in a run with a fielder's choice and stole second, and then Sherwin drove in two with a single to center.
Will Greer allowed only a couple of singles over the first three innings, but then Lehigh flashed its power in the fourth with a trio of home runs from Perich, Andrew Nole, and Justin Butler suddenly giving the hosts a 5-3 lead.
The Mountain Hawks made it 6-3 in the fifth on a single, balk, passed ball, and Rother sacrifice fly.
Nic Adamo reached on an error with one out in the top of the seventh and moved up on a passed ball, and that's when the game was halted due to lightning in the area. Lyons will be at the plate when play resumes on Sunday.
The suspended game will resume at noon on Sunday, with the regularly scheduled series finale to follow.
Voytovich, who was coming off a four-hit game in Wednesday's 5-1 win over Navy, was at it again on Saturday. He provided the Bison with a quick lead with a three-run home run just three batters into game one, and then after the Mountain Hawks scored six unanswered runs to take a 6-4 lead, Voytovich walloped a go-ahead grand slam with one out in the sixth. That gave him a career-high seven runs batted in – one shy of the Bucknell record – and his second grand slam of the season, with the other coming in a win at Penn State.
Bucknell improved to 17-20 overall and 10-10 in the Patriot League, and the third-place Bison kept pace with closest pursuer Lafayette, which took its series opener from Holy Cross.
Bucknell 8, Lehigh 7 – Game 1
After Lehigh ace Luke Rettig hit the first two batters of the game, Voytovich yanked a pitch over the left-field wall to give the Bison a 3-0 lead before the fans had even found their seats. Anthony Sherwin added his second home run of the year to make it 4-0 in the second.
Bison starter Chris DiFiore (4-5) sailed through his first two innings, but in the third Patriot League home run and RBI leader Casey Rother got Lehigh back in it with a two-out, two-run homer. DiFiore worked a 1-2-3 fourth, but a couple of walks in the fifth led to the Mountain Hawks' second three-run homer of the game, this one from Rafe Perich, and Lehigh took its first lead of the day at 6-4.
The Bison got DiFiore off the hook in the sixth, and once again it was Voytovich with the big blow. The rally started with singles from No. 8 and 9 hitters Jake Wortman and Kyle Lyons. Sherwin followed with a bunt single, and after reliever Will Grisack (2-3) picked up a strikeout, Voytovich lost another ball over the wall in left to give the Bison an 8-6 lead.
Bucknell still had six big outs to get against the Patriot League's top offensive club, and the Farynick-Osinksi combo got the job done again. Farynick entered with two on and no outs in the sixth. Dom Patrizi moved the runners up with a bunt, and after a walk loaded the bases, Farynick struck out Tyler Young and then got the dangerous Rother to line out to Sean Keys at third.
The freshman Osinski came on for the seventh and was greeted by another home run from Perich, only the sixth hit and third extra-base hit off of Osinksi all season. One out later, Joe Gorla doubled, and then an error and stolen base put the tying and winning runs in scoring position. With the game on the line, Osinski struck out pinch-hitter Andrew Kohl and Petrizi to close out his fifth save of the season.
Sherwin and Voytovich both finished with three hits apiece, as the Bison out-hit Lehigh 11-7.
Lehigh 6, Bucknell 3 (Top 7th) – Game 2 (suspended due to weather)
For the second straight game the Bison jumped out to a 3-0 lead, this time with a second-inning rally. After singles by Tyler Dunn and Billy Kender, Chris Klein was hit by an Alex Bouchard pitch. Lyons drove in a run with a fielder's choice and stole second, and then Sherwin drove in two with a single to center.
Will Greer allowed only a couple of singles over the first three innings, but then Lehigh flashed its power in the fourth with a trio of home runs from Perich, Andrew Nole, and Justin Butler suddenly giving the hosts a 5-3 lead.
The Mountain Hawks made it 6-3 in the fifth on a single, balk, passed ball, and Rother sacrifice fly.
Nic Adamo reached on an error with one out in the top of the seventh and moved up on a passed ball, and that's when the game was halted due to lightning in the area. Lyons will be at the plate when play resumes on Sunday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DiFiore, Chris (4-5)
L: Grisack, Will (2-3)
S: Osinski, Ryan (5)
Batting:
2B: Corson, Jacob 1 ; Dunn, Tyler 1
HR: Sherwin, Anthony 1 ; Voytovich, Grant 2
RBI: Sherwin, Anthony 1 ; Voytovich, Grant 7
Base Running:
RUNS: Sherwin, Anthony 3 ; Corson, Jacob 1 ; Voytovich, Grant 2 ; Wortman, Jake 1 ; Lyons, Kyle 1
SB: Voytovich, Grant 1
HBP: Sherwin, Anthony 1 ; Corson, Jacob 1 ; Keys, Sean 1
Batting:
2B: Gorla, Joe 1
HR: Rother, Casey 1 ; Perich, Rafe 2
RBI: Rother, Casey 3 ; Perich, Rafe 3
SH: Whitlinger, Jake 1 ; Patrizi, Dom 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whitlinger, Jake 1 ; Rother, Casey 2 ; Perich, Rafe 2 ; Patrizi, Dom 2
SB: Sweeney, Gerard 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
7
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
LHP
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1B/OF
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RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
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OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
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