Monday, May 13
West Point, N.Y.
1 p.m.
Bucknell University
22-23
7
at
9
Army (PL Semifinals)
28-21
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Bucknell
3
0
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
7
7
1
ARMY West Point
2
0
0
0
0
0
5
2
X
9
8
4
Photo by: Mady Salvani
Baseball’s Season Ends after Two Heartbreaking Losses at West Point
5/13/2024 8:20:00 PM | Baseball
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Bucknell baseball team had five-time defending Patriot League champion Army West Point on the ropes all day, but the Black Knights staged two major late-game rallies and stole Games 2 and 3 to wrap up a best-of-three Patriot League Tournament semifinal series on Monday at Doubleday Field. The 9-7 and 6-5 verdicts send the Black Knights on to next week's championship series with Navy, while Bucknell's season ends in heartbreaking fashion.
The Bison received two sensational starting pitching performances from freshman Jake Schultz and sophomore Mikey Myro along with a big day at the plate from senior Grant Voytovich. But Army overcame a 7-2 deficit with five runs in the seventh inning and two in the eighth in the first game of the day, and then the Black Knights erased a 5-2 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the eighth in the deciding game. Bucknell loaded the bases in the ninth but could not extend the game.
Voytovich drove in six runs on the day and had seven RBIs in the three-game series. Voytovich and Jacob Corson both homered in the nightcap, with Corson's his 13th of the year, tying Sean Keys for the team lead. This is only the second time in team history that two Bison hit 13 or more homers in the same season. Doug Shribman (21) and Andrew Brouse (17) did it in 2010 in the two most prolific long-ball seasons in team history.
Keys finished the season with a .405 batting average, making him the first Bison to hit .400 since Chris Pieper hit .406 in 2006.
Bucknell's season ends with a 22-24 record, and the Bison fell just an out or two short of a third straight berth in the Patriot League championship series.
Game 3 of Best-of-Three Series: Army West Point 6, Bucknell 5
Justin Lehman's pinch-hit RBI single tied the game, and two batters later Chris Barr drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead run as Army scored four times in the bottom of the eighth inning to swipe a 6-5 win and move on to the Patriot League championship series.
The loss spoiled a huge day for senior centerfielder Grant Voytovich, who hit a two-run double and a two-run homer and also threw out a runner at second base to complete a big double play to end the sixth inning.
Mikey Myro was outstanding on the mound for the Bison. The sophomore had not thrown more than five innings in any of his 12 appearances this season, but he got through seven in this one against Army's potent lineup. Pitching for the first time since Apr. 28, Myro allowed only one earned run (two total) on six hits while striking out four and walking two.
Nick Mulvey (0-2) came on to start the eighth inning and quickly struck out all-star Sam Ruta, but a hit batsman, a ground ball single, and a walk set the stage for Army's winning rally.
Bucknell tried a comeback of its own in the top of the ninth. Matt Alexander reached on an infield hit -- his second pinch-hit single of the day -- and one out later Sean Keys scratched out another infield single. Corson walked to load the bases with two outs, but Michael Trommer's chopper to first was handled for the final out.
Army starter Mike Ruggieri walked six batters in the first three innings, and Voytovich made him pay with a two-strike, two-out double down the left-field line to give the Bison a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Derek Berg hit a long solo homer to get one back for the Black Knights in the bottom half of the frame.
Myro got a bad break in the fourth, when Coleson Titus pushed a bunt along the first-base line. Myro's flip to first struck Titus in the hand and rolled away, allowing Braden Golinski to move all the way around to third. He scored two batters later on an Addison Ainsworth sac fly.
Bucknell took the lead back in the fifth thanks to the red-hot Voytovich. Keys led off with a walk, and with two outs Voytovich pummeled a Ruggieri fastball 402 feet over the wall in left for a 4-2 lead. Jacob Corson added another insurance run with an opposite-field solo shot in the seventh.
Army out-hit Bucknell 8-6 in the game. Steven Graver (4-1) pitched the final four innings for the Black Knights, allowing only one run on the Corson homer.
Game 2 of Best-of-Three Series: Army West Point 9, Bucknell 7
Ruta hit a go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning, helping Army West Point complete a rally from five runs down and level the series with a 9-7 win.
Billy Kender's leadoff triple ignited a three-run rally in the top of the first inning, and Voytovich's two-run single capped a four-run rally in the fourth that gave the Bison a 7-2 lead.
Freshman starter Jake Schultz was terrific through six innings, allowing only a Ruta two-run homer in the first. But nine-hole hitter Thomas Schreck leaned into a pitch leading off the seventh, ending Schultz's afternoon. Graeme Carroll's first pitch to Berg was a potential double-play ball to short, but an error stoked the rally. Barr's flicked double over the third-base bag was Army's only hit of the inning, and three walks and another hit batsman helped contribute to a five-run rally. Ainsworth's sac fly tied the game at 7-7.
After the Bison left the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, Berg doubled into the left-field corner to start the winning rally in the bottom half. Following a walk, Ruta doubled off the wall in right to plate both runs and give the Black Knights their first lead of the day.
Tanner Gresham (1-0), the 2023 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year who has missed most of this season due to injury, got the final out in the eighth and worked around Alexander's pinch-hit single in the ninth.
Bucknell wasted no time putting three runs on the board against Army starter Matthew Ronnebaum in the top of the first inning. Kender led off the game with a triple into the right-center alley, and he scored two batters later on Corson's hot smash up the middle that could not be snagged by shortstop Schreck. Later in the inning, Tyler Dunn and Luke Nascimento came through with two-out RBI singles to make it 3-0.
Corson's bases-loaded walk gave the Bison a 4-2 lead in the fourth. Trommer drove in a run with a ground ball, and Voytovich made it 7-2 with a sharp two-run single through the left side.
Kender finished with two of Bucknell's seven hits, while Keys and Corson both walked twice. Ruta and Barr had two hits each for the Black Knights, who finished with eight in the game and were able to pull out a win despite committing four errors.
Schultz was charged with three runs on five hits over six innings, while Ronnebaum was touched for seven runs (one earned) on four hits with five walks in 3.1 innings. Andrew Berg was strong in middle relief for Army, pitching 4.1 scoreless innings before giving way to Gresham.
The Bison received two sensational starting pitching performances from freshman Jake Schultz and sophomore Mikey Myro along with a big day at the plate from senior Grant Voytovich. But Army overcame a 7-2 deficit with five runs in the seventh inning and two in the eighth in the first game of the day, and then the Black Knights erased a 5-2 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the eighth in the deciding game. Bucknell loaded the bases in the ninth but could not extend the game.
Voytovich drove in six runs on the day and had seven RBIs in the three-game series. Voytovich and Jacob Corson both homered in the nightcap, with Corson's his 13th of the year, tying Sean Keys for the team lead. This is only the second time in team history that two Bison hit 13 or more homers in the same season. Doug Shribman (21) and Andrew Brouse (17) did it in 2010 in the two most prolific long-ball seasons in team history.
Here's a look at the Grant Voytovich homer! His 402-foot blast gives the Bison the lead back at 4-2 in the 5th. #rayBucknell
— Bucknell Baseball ⚾️ (@Bucknell_BB) May 13, 2024
Watch: https://t.co/zTf2YittyK@PatriotLeagueTV | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/9TSnjtNT0e
Keys finished the season with a .405 batting average, making him the first Bison to hit .400 since Chris Pieper hit .406 in 2006.
Bucknell's season ends with a 22-24 record, and the Bison fell just an out or two short of a third straight berth in the Patriot League championship series.
Game 3 of Best-of-Three Series: Army West Point 6, Bucknell 5
Justin Lehman's pinch-hit RBI single tied the game, and two batters later Chris Barr drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead run as Army scored four times in the bottom of the eighth inning to swipe a 6-5 win and move on to the Patriot League championship series.
The loss spoiled a huge day for senior centerfielder Grant Voytovich, who hit a two-run double and a two-run homer and also threw out a runner at second base to complete a big double play to end the sixth inning.
Grant Voytovich comes through again! His two-strike, two-out double drives in a pair, and the Bison have a 2-0 lead in the 3rd. #rayBucknell
— Bucknell Baseball ⚾️ (@Bucknell_BB) May 13, 2024
Watch: https://t.co/zTf2YittyK@PatriotLeagueTV | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/ZH4FvGT11o
Mikey Myro was outstanding on the mound for the Bison. The sophomore had not thrown more than five innings in any of his 12 appearances this season, but he got through seven in this one against Army's potent lineup. Pitching for the first time since Apr. 28, Myro allowed only one earned run (two total) on six hits while striking out four and walking two.
Nick Mulvey (0-2) came on to start the eighth inning and quickly struck out all-star Sam Ruta, but a hit batsman, a ground ball single, and a walk set the stage for Army's winning rally.
Bucknell tried a comeback of its own in the top of the ninth. Matt Alexander reached on an infield hit -- his second pinch-hit single of the day -- and one out later Sean Keys scratched out another infield single. Corson walked to load the bases with two outs, but Michael Trommer's chopper to first was handled for the final out.
Army starter Mike Ruggieri walked six batters in the first three innings, and Voytovich made him pay with a two-strike, two-out double down the left-field line to give the Bison a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Derek Berg hit a long solo homer to get one back for the Black Knights in the bottom half of the frame.
Myro got a bad break in the fourth, when Coleson Titus pushed a bunt along the first-base line. Myro's flip to first struck Titus in the hand and rolled away, allowing Braden Golinski to move all the way around to third. He scored two batters later on an Addison Ainsworth sac fly.
Bucknell took the lead back in the fifth thanks to the red-hot Voytovich. Keys led off with a walk, and with two outs Voytovich pummeled a Ruggieri fastball 402 feet over the wall in left for a 4-2 lead. Jacob Corson added another insurance run with an opposite-field solo shot in the seventh.
Army out-hit Bucknell 8-6 in the game. Steven Graver (4-1) pitched the final four innings for the Black Knights, allowing only one run on the Corson homer.
Game 2 of Best-of-Three Series: Army West Point 9, Bucknell 7
Ruta hit a go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning, helping Army West Point complete a rally from five runs down and level the series with a 9-7 win.
Billy Kender's leadoff triple ignited a three-run rally in the top of the first inning, and Voytovich's two-run single capped a four-run rally in the fourth that gave the Bison a 7-2 lead.
Freshman starter Jake Schultz was terrific through six innings, allowing only a Ruta two-run homer in the first. But nine-hole hitter Thomas Schreck leaned into a pitch leading off the seventh, ending Schultz's afternoon. Graeme Carroll's first pitch to Berg was a potential double-play ball to short, but an error stoked the rally. Barr's flicked double over the third-base bag was Army's only hit of the inning, and three walks and another hit batsman helped contribute to a five-run rally. Ainsworth's sac fly tied the game at 7-7.
Jake Schultz freezes Ainsworth to end the 6th and strand a runner at third. Gutsy outing by the freshman thus far, and the Bison still lead 7-2 as we head to the 7th. #rayBucknell
— Bucknell Baseball ⚾️ (@Bucknell_BB) May 13, 2024
Watch: https://t.co/HB7v6H37Sw@PatriotLeagueTV | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/WuTFOgoHf5
After the Bison left the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, Berg doubled into the left-field corner to start the winning rally in the bottom half. Following a walk, Ruta doubled off the wall in right to plate both runs and give the Black Knights their first lead of the day.
Tanner Gresham (1-0), the 2023 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year who has missed most of this season due to injury, got the final out in the eighth and worked around Alexander's pinch-hit single in the ninth.
Bucknell wasted no time putting three runs on the board against Army starter Matthew Ronnebaum in the top of the first inning. Kender led off the game with a triple into the right-center alley, and he scored two batters later on Corson's hot smash up the middle that could not be snagged by shortstop Schreck. Later in the inning, Tyler Dunn and Luke Nascimento came through with two-out RBI singles to make it 3-0.
Corson's bases-loaded walk gave the Bison a 4-2 lead in the fourth. Trommer drove in a run with a ground ball, and Voytovich made it 7-2 with a sharp two-run single through the left side.
Kender finished with two of Bucknell's seven hits, while Keys and Corson both walked twice. Ruta and Barr had two hits each for the Black Knights, who finished with eight in the game and were able to pull out a win despite committing four errors.
Schultz was charged with three runs on five hits over six innings, while Ronnebaum was touched for seven runs (one earned) on four hits with five walks in 3.1 innings. Andrew Berg was strong in middle relief for Army, pitching 4.1 scoreless innings before giving way to Gresham.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tanner Gresham (1-0)
L: Adelmann, Jonathan (1-5)
Batting:
3B: Kender, Billy 1
RBI: Corson, Jacob 2 ; Trommer, Michael 1 ; Voytovich, Grant 2 ; Dunn, Tyler 1 ; Nascimento, Luke 1
SH: Karp, Brady 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kender, Billy 2 ; Keys, Sean 2 ; Corson, Jacob 2 ; Morabito, Chris 1
Batting:
2B: Derek Berg 1 ; Chris Barr 1 ; Sam Ruta 1
HR: Sam Ruta 1
RBI: Chris Barr 1 ; Sam Ruta 4 ; William Parker 1 ; Coleson Titus 1 ; Justin Lehman 1 ; Addison Ainsworth 1
SH: Justin Lehman 1
SF: Addison Ainsworth 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Derek Berg 2 ; Chris Barr 3 ; Sam Ruta 2 ; Braden Golinski 1 ; Thomas Schreck 1
HBP: Coleson Titus 2 ; Thomas Schreck 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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/ Baseball1B
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LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF/RHP
/ BaseballOF
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