Sunday, February 18
Spartanburg, S.C.
10:30 a.m.
Bucknell University
1-2
7
vs
3
Towson
1-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
BUCKNELL
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
1
3
7
7
0
TOWSON
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
3
6
3
Photo by: Lianne Garrahan
Bison Ride Young Arms to First Win of Season, 7-3 over Towson
2/18/2024 3:03:00 PM | Baseball
SPARTANBURG, Pa. – Jacob Corson delivered three hits, and freshman pitchers Jake Schultz and Jack O'Malley combined for six shutout innings to lead the Bucknell baseball team to its first win of the season, 7-3 over Towson on Sunday at Wofford's King Field.
After conceding 31 runs in a pair of losses to Towson and Wofford on Saturday, the Bison pitched well and played error-free ball en route to their first win of the season. O'Malley picked up his first career win in his debut, and Nick Mulvey recorded the save after escaping jams in each of the final three innings.
Schultz started on the hill and did not allow a hit until a one-out single in the fourth inning. O'Malley entered with two on and two outs in the fourth and struck out Ryan Williamson to escape the jam. The 6'8" righthander went on to punch out five in 2.1 innings of relief, and he earned the win when the Bison took the lead in the fifth.
Corson tripled with one out and scored on Grant Voytovich's sacrifice fly to break the scoreless deadlock. Bucknell added two more in the sixth, when Billy Kender led off with a double and Michael Chiaravallo followed with a walk, Michael Trommer moved the runners up with a bunt, and Nic Adamo drove them both in with a base hit to right-center.
After missing last season due to injury, sophomore Ethan Firestein made his collegiate debut out of the bullpen to start the seventh. He allowed a couple of hits and hit a batter, and the lefty Mulvey eventually struck out the dangerous Brian Heckelman with men at second and third to limit the damage to two runs.
Bucknell made it 4-2 in the eight on Corson's RBI single, and then with runners at second and third and one out in the bottom half, Mulvey got Williamson on a soft blooper up the middle that was caught by Kender behind the bag, and he turned it into an inning-ending double play when the runner at second strayed too far off.
The Bison tacked on three big insurance runs without the benefit of a hit in the top of the ninth. Sean Keys started the rally with his second hit by pitch of the day, then he stole his second base of the game and moved to third when the throw got away. After Tyler Dunn walked, Kender's fly ball was mishandled in center, allowing Keys to score. Later in the inning, pinch-hitter Chris Morabito walked with the bases loaded, and Kender scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-2.
Those extra runs proved to be important, as Towson scored a run on a fielder's choice and had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Mulvey struck out Jordan Peyton to end it.
Bucknell out-hit Towson 7-6 in the game. Keys went 1-for-2 with the two HBPs and was also intentionally walked. He reached base in 11 of his 16 plate appearances on the weekend, including 9 of 10 in the two games against Towson.
Heckelman went 3-for-4 and Casey Bishop added a pair of hits for the Tigers. Towson starter Max Simpson was effective, allowing just a run on four hits over five innings.
Next up for Bucknell is a four-game series against Massachusetts next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Colonial Heights, Va.
After conceding 31 runs in a pair of losses to Towson and Wofford on Saturday, the Bison pitched well and played error-free ball en route to their first win of the season. O'Malley picked up his first career win in his debut, and Nick Mulvey recorded the save after escaping jams in each of the final three innings.
Schultz started on the hill and did not allow a hit until a one-out single in the fourth inning. O'Malley entered with two on and two outs in the fourth and struck out Ryan Williamson to escape the jam. The 6'8" righthander went on to punch out five in 2.1 innings of relief, and he earned the win when the Bison took the lead in the fifth.
Corson tripled with one out and scored on Grant Voytovich's sacrifice fly to break the scoreless deadlock. Bucknell added two more in the sixth, when Billy Kender led off with a double and Michael Chiaravallo followed with a walk, Michael Trommer moved the runners up with a bunt, and Nic Adamo drove them both in with a base hit to right-center.
After missing last season due to injury, sophomore Ethan Firestein made his collegiate debut out of the bullpen to start the seventh. He allowed a couple of hits and hit a batter, and the lefty Mulvey eventually struck out the dangerous Brian Heckelman with men at second and third to limit the damage to two runs.
Bucknell made it 4-2 in the eight on Corson's RBI single, and then with runners at second and third and one out in the bottom half, Mulvey got Williamson on a soft blooper up the middle that was caught by Kender behind the bag, and he turned it into an inning-ending double play when the runner at second strayed too far off.
The Bison tacked on three big insurance runs without the benefit of a hit in the top of the ninth. Sean Keys started the rally with his second hit by pitch of the day, then he stole his second base of the game and moved to third when the throw got away. After Tyler Dunn walked, Kender's fly ball was mishandled in center, allowing Keys to score. Later in the inning, pinch-hitter Chris Morabito walked with the bases loaded, and Kender scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-2.
Those extra runs proved to be important, as Towson scored a run on a fielder's choice and had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Mulvey struck out Jordan Peyton to end it.
Bucknell out-hit Towson 7-6 in the game. Keys went 1-for-2 with the two HBPs and was also intentionally walked. He reached base in 11 of his 16 plate appearances on the weekend, including 9 of 10 in the two games against Towson.
Heckelman went 3-for-4 and Casey Bishop added a pair of hits for the Tigers. Towson starter Max Simpson was effective, allowing just a run on four hits over five innings.
Next up for Bucknell is a four-game series against Massachusetts next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Colonial Heights, Va.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Malley, Jack (1-0)
L: Max Simpson (0-1)
S: Mulvey, Nick (1)
Batting:
2B: Kender, Billy 1
3B: Corson, Jacob 1
RBI: Corson, Jacob 1 ; Voytovich, Grant 1 ; Kender, Billy 1 ; Morabito, Chris 1 ; Adamo, Nic 2
SH: Trommer, Michael 1 ; Karp, Brady 1
SF: Voytovich, Grant 1 ; Kender, Billy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Corson, Jacob 1 ; Keys, Sean 1 ; Dunn, Tyler 1 ; Kender, Billy 2 ; Chiaravallo, Michael 1 ; Trommer, Michael 1
SB: Keys, Sean 2
HBP: Keys, Sean 2 ; Karp, Brady 1
Batting:
2B: Casey Bishop 1 ; Jack Lawrence 1
RBI: Casey Bishop 1 ; Bryce Frederick 2
SH: Taye Robinson 1 ; Ryan Williamson 1
SF: Bryce Frederick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Casey Bishop 2 ; Steven Vrolijk 1
SB: Casey Bishop 1 ; Jeremy Wagner 1 ; Jordan Peyton 1
HBP: Jeremy Wagner 1 ; Jordan Peyton 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball1B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF/RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballMount St. Mary's Men's Water Polo Vs. Mercyhurst (10/11/25)
Saturday, October 11
(Coaches Camera) Mount St. Mary's Men's Water Polo Vs. Mercyhurst (10/11/25)
Saturday, October 11
Bucknell Men's Water Polo Vs. Mercyhurst (10/10/25)
Saturday, October 11
(Coaches Camera) Bucknell Men's Water Polo Vs. Mercyhurst (10/10/25)
Saturday, October 11