Friday, March 8
Madeira Beach, FL
10 a.m.
Bucknell University
vs
LIU
Softball Heads to the Sunshine State for The Spring Games
3/7/2024 12:00:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison softball team (6-9) heads to the Sunshine State to compete in the annual Spring Games at beautiful Madeira Beach. Bucknell participated in the 2023 Spring Games, recording a 2-3 mark with two wins over Hartford. The Orange & Blue crew played last weekend at the Blue Hen Invitational and went 2-1, defeating Fairfield & Maine.
The Starting Lineup
What: The Spring Games
Where: Various Fields (Madeira Beach, Fla.)
When: March 8-10
Bucknell Schedule (All Times EST)
Friday, March 8
10:00 a.m. | vs. LIU | Live Watch
12:30 p.m. | vs. Central Michigan | Live Stats | Live Watch
Saturday, March 9
12:30 p.m. | vs. Siena | Live Stats | Live Watch
5:30 p.m. | vs. Manhattan | Live Watch
Sunday, March 10
10:00 a.m. | vs. Columbia | Live Watch
The Inside "Herd" on the Bison
- The Bison picked up two wins at the Blue Hen Invitational, defeating Maine 7-1 and blanking Fairfield 3-0. It marks the second straight season the Bison have won a weekend.
- Brooke Popella won Patriot League Rookie of the Week for her efforts at the Invitational. The freshman shortstop batted .333, had an OBP of .455, and anchored the left side of the infield. She drove in two runs in the win over Maine. Bucknell has won a Rookie of the Week award every season since 2012, except for the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
- Madison Roukey was lights out at the Blue Hen Invitational, tossing 18 strikeouts in 12.1 innings. She pitched the Maine game and threw a complete game. The junior pitcher tied a career-high in strikeouts with 11, reinforcing her nickname of Maddie the Baddie. Roukey received Patriot League Honorable Mention for her efforts.
- Zoie Smith was the steady rock of the lineup. The senior catcher batted .300 and smashed a two-run double against Fairfield. The two-bagger was her 31st career double, which tied her tenth all-time in Bucknell history.
- MaKenzie Hilling and Popella lead the Patriot League in walks (8).
Overview of the Opposition
- LIU- The Sharks are 6-9 and have already defeated two Power Five programs in Boston College and Maryland. LIU won the 2023 NEC Tournament, dethroning the Saint Francis Red Flash, who were five-time champions. LIU has four players batting above .300, led by Alexia Castro's .340 mark. The Sharks have only used three pitchers, with Alyssa O'Donnell tallying a 2.75 ERA.
- Central Michigan - The Chippewas are 1-14 to start the season with their one win over conference foe NIU in a non-conference game. CMU played No. 23 Arizona to a 5-4 nailbiter. Central Michigan is batting .204, with Skylar Coberley's .324 mark leading the team. Grace Lehto has been the main pitcher. Her 0-8 record is deceiving, as the hurler has a respectable 3.78 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 37 innings.
- Siena - The Saints are 7-5 on the season. Interestingly, they have played fellow Catholic institution Bellarmine three times, going 2-1 against the Kentucky program. Siena has two hitters above .300 in Mikala Fletcher (.348) and Madi Silber (.355). The Saints are blessed with great pitching (2.17 ERA), with Alissa Eimont's 0.58 mark leading the group.
- Manhattan - The Jaspers are 1-9 with the sole win over Northern Colorado. Every loss for Manhattan has come by more than four runs. The Jaspers' offense has been looking for answers, batting .201, with Lindsey Hoag (.304) as the sole .300 hitter. The pitching staff has a collective ERA of 8.76.
- Columbia - The Lions are 1-4, having opened its season two weeks ago at the FAU Owl Classic. Columbia defeated Rhode Island, 4-2. The team is hitting .216. Two hitters, Jaden Hill (.500) and Eleni Katsivalis (.583), are over .500. Opponents are 13-of-13 in stolen base opportunities against Columbia. The staff has an ERA of 6.76.
History with the Foes
- LIU- Bucknell is 0-2 against LIU, having fallen prey to the Sharks in the 2022 and 2023 Spring Games. LIU is a relatively new program formed out of the union of Division I LIU Brooklyn and Division II LIU Post.
- Central Michigan - This is the first-ever meeting with Central Michigan.
- Siena - The Saints lead the series, 13-6. Bucknell won the first game in 1999, 2-0. Siena was a frequent foe in the early 2000s. The late contest came in 2022, where Bucknell narrowly lost 3-2.
- Manhattan - The Bison have the 4-1 series lead. Bucknell lost the first game in 2001 but have reeled off four straight wins. The last game came in 2019, a 4-3 Bison triumph.
- Columbia - The Lions own the 8-3 series advantage. Bucknell won the first game 8-3 in 2000. The last contest in 2012 resulted in a 6-0 shutout of the Lions.
Up Next
The Bison remain in the Sunshine State for a pair of doubleheaders against Jacksonville (March 12) and North Florida (March 13).
Players Mentioned
C/1B
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C/Util
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