Softball Prepares for Senior Day and Pivotal Series with Lafayette

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison softball team (13-28, 5-10 PL) will hold Senior Day amidst a crucial three-game series with the Lafayette Leopards (8-33-1, 4-11 PL). The Bison will likely need to win out to have a chance at the fourth seed in the Patriot League Tournament. Lafayette is coming off a series with Colgate where the Leopards delivered a blow to the Raiders' tournament hopes by taking two out of three games.

The Starting Lineup
What: Weekend Series against Lafayette College
Where: Becker Field (Lewisburg, Pa.)
When: May 6-7

Bucknell Schedule (All Times EST)

Saturday, May 6
12:00 p.m. | vs. Lafayette | Live Stats | ESPN+
2:00 p.m. | vs. Lafayette | Live Stats | ESPN+

Sunday, May 7
12:00 p.m. | vs. Lafayette | Live Stats | ESPN+

Caffrey's Call

"This weekend is everything to us. We started the season wanting the ability to compete in the Patriot League Tournament, and we are down to our final weekend, where we can still write the ending to our story, and that's exciting. This team wants it, and to have the opportunity to do it at home in front of our fans is thrilling, to say the least."

Playoff Scenarios

Current standings: Army 7-8, Colgate 6-9, Bucknell 5-10.
Army and Colgate hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Bucknell.
If Bucknell wins out and finishes at 8-10 and Army sweeps or takes two out of three games from Colgate, the Bison are in.
The Bison are in if Bucknell wins two out of three games and finishes 7-11 and Army sweeps Colgate.
The Bison are in if Bucknell sweeps Lafayette to finish 8-10 and Colgate sweeps Army.

Saluting the Seniors

Before the first game on Saturday, the Bison will celebrate the careers of four seniors: Kaiya Burton, Chase Knapp, Kailyn Lorberter, and Olivia Marinelli. The four players left an indelible impact on the program and will be greatly missed by fans and players alike.

"I'm excited to celebrate the careers of Kaiya, Chase, Kailyn, and Olivia, as they left a huge mark on our program," said head coach Sarah Caffrey. "It is to be a great weekend of softball and beautiful weather. We, and the seniors, can't ask for more than that."

The Inside "Herd" on the Bison

The Bison have not played since last April 25 after inclement weather forced the cancelation of last Saturday's games against St. John's.
Zoie Smith ranks 10th in the nation in doubles per game (.34).
The Bison aim to return to the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2019.

Overview of the Opposition

Lafayette has an overall record of 8-33-1 and a 4-11 Patriot League mark to hold sixth place in the conference. But the Leopards took two out of three games from Colgate and have played several one-run games with Boston and Lehigh. Kylie Sweet is the sole Leopard hitting above .300 with her .312 average. Megan Coyle provides some power with six home runs. The Leopards primarily use three pitchers who have ERAs around or above five.

History with the Foe

Bucknell leads the all-time series with Lafayette by the large margin of 89-41-1. The series started in 1979, during the first season of Bison softball as a variety program. Lafayette won the first game 17-12. Bucknell finished last season by taking two out of three games against the Leopards.

Up Next

Either Bucknell participates in the Patriot League Tournament, or the Bison are idle until fall ball.

Bucknell University Athletics

Softball Prepares for Senior Day and Pivotal Series with Lafayette

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Players Mentioned

Kaiya Burton

Chase Knapp

Kailyn Lorberter

Olivia Marinelli

Zoie Smith

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