Softball Hits the Road for the Hokie Invite

Friday, February 28

Salem, Va.

10 a.m.

Bucknell University

Radford

2/26/2025 3:12:00 PM | Softball

LEWISBURG, Pa.- Bucknell Bison softball (3-5) travels to its second tournament of the 2025 season when it heads to Salem, Virginia for the Hokie Invite hosted by Virginia Tech. The Orange & Blue spent last weekend in a three-game series at Delaware State where Bucknell won two of three games by holding DSU to three runs. Bucknell will face a diverse set of opponents at the Hokie Invite, including a Keystone State foe and an opponent from the last two seasons. All five games will be streamed via MuscoVision.

The Starting Lineup
What: Hokie Invite
Where: Moyer Sports Complex (Salem, Va.)
When: February 28-March 2

Tournament Page

Bucknell Schedule (All Times EST)

February, February 28
10 a.m. | vs. Radford | Live Stats | Live Stream
5:30 p.m. | vs. James Madison | Live Stats | Live Stream

Saturday, March 1
10 a.m. | vs. Robert Morris | Live Stats | Live Stream
12:30 p.m. | vs. Radford | Live Stats | Live Stream

Sunday, March 2
12:30 p.m. | vs. Robert Morris | Live Stats | Live Stream

Caffrey's Call

"We're heading to the Hokie Invite for a great weekend of competition against Radford, JMU, and RMU. The next couple of weeks are the busiest stretch of the season for us and we're really excited to take on more teams that help us prepare for the Patriot League season. I think we are really starting to come together as a team and everyone is really excited for what we are building."

The Inside "Herd" on the Bison

Bucknell rebounded in the Delaware State series winning two of the three games. The Bison dropped the opening match 2-1 in ten innings wasting a great pitching performance by Madison Roukey. The Orange & Blue regrouped and swept the Sunday doubleheader 5-1 and 5-0, taking the series.
Roukey pitched expertly against the Hornets. The senior captain collected 11 strikeouts and posted a 0.42 ERA in 16.2 innings of work. She tossed a complete game shutout on Sunday for her first 2025 win. Roukey has a 2.67 ERA on the season. She won her second career Patriot League Pitcher of the Week award for her excellence in the circle.
Sarah Zimmerman hurled a complete game in the 5-1 victory for her first collegiate distance-effort.
Nicole Lioumis batted .500 in eight at-bats and drove in two RBIs - the first of her career.
Brooke Popella led the offense with five RBIs and two doubles.
Makenzie Hilling supplied a .300 average and two RBIs.

Overview of the Opposition

Radford- Radford went 24-23 overall and 7-11 in the Big South last year. This season, the Highlanders sit at 6-9 after three weekends of competition. They have played a difficult schedule with two losses against ranked Liberty and top ten Tennessee. Radford upset Louisville 3-1 and fell to Patriot League foe Boston. The team has a balanced attack with three hitters collecting eight RBIs.
James Madison- JMU finished 31-22 overall and 12-12 in the deep and potent Sun Belt last season. Their season ended with a loss to Louisiana Lafayette in the Sun Belt Quarterfinals. The Dukes sit at 2-7 against a tough schedule which included #12 Georgia, NC State, Ole Miss, and UCF. Inclement weekend forced the cancelation of their planned second weekend tournament. JMU is batting .211 but has four home runs. The pitching staff has recorded a respectable 4.15 ERA considering their faced foes.
Robert Morris - RMU posted a 20-24 overall and 13-10 Horizon League record last year. The Colonials won three Horizon League Tournament games, including a victory over one-seeded Youngstown State, before losing to Northern Kentucky in the semifinals. Robert Morris built a schedule of 54 games but has only played two contests as inclement weather has canceled two consecutive tournament. The 2-0 record comes via wins over Iona and Sacred Heart on Feb. 14. As such, the statistical sample is small but the team has a 2.00 ERA.

History with the Foes

Radford- Bucknell is 2-4-1 against Radford. The Bison played the Highlanders three times in 2023 & 2024 and lost thrice.
James Madison- The series is tied at 2-2. Bucknell won the latest matchup 7-4 in 2012.
Robert Morris - Bucknell owns a 4-2 series lead over RMU. The last clash, a 7-6 Bison win, occurred in 2017.

Up Next

Bucknell heads to Tennessee for the annual Spring Break trip. The expedition begins on March 7 at the Cathi Maynard Invitiational hosted by Austin Peay.