Friday, March 28
Worcester, Mass.
1 p.m.
Bucknell University
10-13, 2-3
6
at
5
Holy Cross
11-14, 3-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Bucknell
0
0
0
1
0
0
5
6
8
0
Holy Cross
3
0
2
0
0
0
0
5
6
2
Photo by: Alisa Mitchell
Baseball Sweeps Holy Cross with Big Offensive Day
3/28/2025 8:21:00 PM | Baseball
WORCESTER, Mass. – The Bucknell baseball team swept Holy Cross in a doubleheader at Fitton Field on Friday, marking the first time since 2019 that the Bison have taken down the Crusaders on the road. The Bison staged a five-run seventh inning comeback to take Game 1 in a thrilling 6-5 ending, then carried the momentum into Game 2 with a big 20-8 victory.
Bucknell (11-13, 3-3 PL) snapped a four-game losing streak to Holy Cross (11-15, 3-3 PL), and a 12-game losing skid on the road to the Crusaders. The Bison got back to .500 in the Patriot League after a 1-3 start in a four-game series last weekend at Navy.
Senior Billy Kender led the Bison with four hits on the day. Kender was 1-for-4 with an RBI in Game 1, and was 3-for-6 with two RBIs and a walk in the second. Sophomore Billy Fluharty had four RBIs, going for three in Game 2. Fluharty currently has a nine-game on base streak under his belt.
Sophomore Chris Morabito had two hits, a career-high five RBIs and a walk in Game 2. Both of Morabito's hits were triples, marking his second and third three-bagger this season.
Senior Tyler Dunn upped his hitting streak to eight games and his on-base streak to 17 games, grabbing a hit and an RBI in both games. Dunn was 1-for-3 in Game 2 with two RBIs and four walks, becoming the eighth Bison in history to walk four times in a game. Kender most recently hit that mark with a four-walk game against Villanova last season.
Freshman John Calabrese stayed hot at the plate, going for a hit in each game. The right fielder had two RBIs and two walks in the latter game. He is now on a four-game hitting streak and has six hits, five RBIs and six walks in the four-game span. He has also doubled in each of the last three games.
The catching duo of sophomore Luke Nascimento and junior Garrison Bullock had strong days at the plate. Nascimento kicked off Bucknell's seventh-inning rally with a single for his seventh hit in the last five games. Bullock was a terror in Game 2, reaching base in all six at-bats. Bullock was 2-for-2 with three RBIs, three runs scored, a hit-by-pitch and three walks. Both Nascimento and Bullock threw a runner out at second from behind the plate.
Senior Tyler O'Neill's fourth strikeout in the sixth inning of Game 1 was his 195th career strikeout, moving up to third with Jack Recco '77 on Bucknell's all-time strikeouts list.
Game 1: Bucknell 6, Holy Cross 5 (7 inn.)
Bucknell (11-13, 3-3 PL) had just two hits and trailed 5-1 entering the seventh inning of Game 1. The Bison rallied off five consecutive hits to start the inning, including RBIs from senior Brady Karp, Fluharty and Dunn to cut the deficit to 5-4.
With Fluharty at third, Kender hit a slow grounder to third, and Fluharty beat the throw at the plate to even the score 5-5. The Crusaders got the second out, but a clutch piece of hitting by junior Ryan Facinelli scored Kender on a big swing into the right-centerfield gap to put the Bison in front.
O'Neill came back out to pitch the bottom of the seventh, getting two quick outs and allowing a walk before sophomore Jonathan Adelmann forced a ground out to end the game and earn his third save of the year.
Chris Baillargeon hit a two-run home run to open the scoring in the first inning before another run came home for a 3-0 advantage. Gianni Royer then launched another two-run shot in the third inning, and the Crusaders led 5-0.
Facinelli came home to score in the top of the fourth on a wild pitch to get Bucknell on the board. O'Neill was lights out after the second home run, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings and ultimately earning his second win of the year.
The Bison had eight hits in the game, with six coming in the seventh inning. Facinelli had the only multi-hit game as seven different Bison had a hit.
Nascimento and Calabrese each had a hit. Their hits led off the seventh-inning rally with Nascimento singling and Calabrese hitting a bloop double before the onslaught of runs.
Game 2: Bucknell 20, Holy Cross 8
That momentum of the late rally in Game 1 carried right into Game 2 as the Bucknell led 7-0 after three innings. Holy Cross cut the lead to 7-5 with a five-run fifth, but the Bison scored 13 runs across the final four frames to pull away to a 20-8 win.
Bucknell drew a program-record 20 walks and tied its team record with seven hit batters. Bucknell's previous record was 14 walks, most recently set against Susquehanna in 2007. The last time seven Bison were hit with a pitch was in 2013 against Penn State.
Bucknell's 20 runs came on just 11 hits in the game. The Bison had crooked frames in five of the nine innings, including five in both the eighth and ninth. Seven different Bison had multiple RBIs. Fluharty and Bullock had three RBIs, and Morabito had five via his two triples.
Bullock reached base in all six plate appearances. The catcher was 2-for-2 with three RBIs, three runs scored, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Bullock roped a pitch off the top of the center field wall to score two runs to start a four-run third inning. Kender was 3-for-6 at the plate with two RBIs. Kender drove in both of his runs on a single as part of a five-run eighth inning.
Billy Fluharty opened the scoring with a two-run double in the second inning, and later brought in another on a sacrifice fly. Dunn upped his hitting and on base streak once again with an RBI single in the first. Dunn drove in another with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth.
Junior Michael Trommer drove in two runs on his three walks today. Trommer, Bullock and Calabrese each drew three walks, and Dunn drew a record-tying four walks.
Calabrese was 1-for-3 with his three walks, two RBIs and two runs scored. Brady Karp drove in a run on a sacrifice bunt. Karp walked and was hit with two pitches after wearing one in Game 1. Karp has been hit seven times this season in 10 games he has played in.
Freshman Everett Garber got the start on the mound in Game 2. The righthander started off strong with four scoreless innings until he ran into trouble in the fifth. Garber finished with a final line of four earned runs on four hits with four walks over 4.0 innings with three strikeouts.
Freshman Samuel Janik took over in the fifth, working three quick outs to get out of the inning with the lead intact. Janik then tossed a 1-2-3 sixth before allowing a run to score in the seventh, and he was credited with his first career win.
The Bison are back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader at Army starting at 1 p.m. at Doubleday Field.
Bucknell (11-13, 3-3 PL) snapped a four-game losing streak to Holy Cross (11-15, 3-3 PL), and a 12-game losing skid on the road to the Crusaders. The Bison got back to .500 in the Patriot League after a 1-3 start in a four-game series last weekend at Navy.
Senior Billy Kender led the Bison with four hits on the day. Kender was 1-for-4 with an RBI in Game 1, and was 3-for-6 with two RBIs and a walk in the second. Sophomore Billy Fluharty had four RBIs, going for three in Game 2. Fluharty currently has a nine-game on base streak under his belt.
Billy Kender's third hit of the game 🔥
— Bucknell Baseball ⚾️ (@Bucknell_BB) March 28, 2025
Watch: https://t.co/nwU1tuDfdN@PatriotLeagueHQ | @espn pic.twitter.com/drYZVuOikF
Sophomore Chris Morabito had two hits, a career-high five RBIs and a walk in Game 2. Both of Morabito's hits were triples, marking his second and third three-bagger this season.
That's ✌️ triples for Morabito and four-RBI game! #rayBucknell
— Bucknell Baseball ⚾️ (@Bucknell_BB) March 28, 2025
Watch: https://t.co/nwU1tuDfdN@PatriotLeagueHQ | @espn pic.twitter.com/OfXiCMlRqi
Senior Tyler Dunn upped his hitting streak to eight games and his on-base streak to 17 games, grabbing a hit and an RBI in both games. Dunn was 1-for-3 in Game 2 with two RBIs and four walks, becoming the eighth Bison in history to walk four times in a game. Kender most recently hit that mark with a four-walk game against Villanova last season.
Freshman John Calabrese stayed hot at the plate, going for a hit in each game. The right fielder had two RBIs and two walks in the latter game. He is now on a four-game hitting streak and has six hits, five RBIs and six walks in the four-game span. He has also doubled in each of the last three games.
The catching duo of sophomore Luke Nascimento and junior Garrison Bullock had strong days at the plate. Nascimento kicked off Bucknell's seventh-inning rally with a single for his seventh hit in the last five games. Bullock was a terror in Game 2, reaching base in all six at-bats. Bullock was 2-for-2 with three RBIs, three runs scored, a hit-by-pitch and three walks. Both Nascimento and Bullock threw a runner out at second from behind the plate.
Senior Tyler O'Neill's fourth strikeout in the sixth inning of Game 1 was his 195th career strikeout, moving up to third with Jack Recco '77 on Bucknell's all-time strikeouts list.
Game 1: Bucknell 6, Holy Cross 5 (7 inn.)
Bucknell (11-13, 3-3 PL) had just two hits and trailed 5-1 entering the seventh inning of Game 1. The Bison rallied off five consecutive hits to start the inning, including RBIs from senior Brady Karp, Fluharty and Dunn to cut the deficit to 5-4.
With Fluharty at third, Kender hit a slow grounder to third, and Fluharty beat the throw at the plate to even the score 5-5. The Crusaders got the second out, but a clutch piece of hitting by junior Ryan Facinelli scored Kender on a big swing into the right-centerfield gap to put the Bison in front.
BISON LEAD! It's a five-run top of the seventh, and the Bison take a 6-5 lead. Fluharty beats the throw home to tie it and Facinelli's two-out double scores Kender for the lead! #rayBucknell
— Bucknell Baseball ⚾️ (@Bucknell_BB) March 28, 2025
Watch: https://t.co/fo6mjyjQPY@PatriotLeagueHQ | @espn pic.twitter.com/GjLdVsTXzc
O'Neill came back out to pitch the bottom of the seventh, getting two quick outs and allowing a walk before sophomore Jonathan Adelmann forced a ground out to end the game and earn his third save of the year.
Chris Baillargeon hit a two-run home run to open the scoring in the first inning before another run came home for a 3-0 advantage. Gianni Royer then launched another two-run shot in the third inning, and the Crusaders led 5-0.
Facinelli came home to score in the top of the fourth on a wild pitch to get Bucknell on the board. O'Neill was lights out after the second home run, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings and ultimately earning his second win of the year.
The Bison had eight hits in the game, with six coming in the seventh inning. Facinelli had the only multi-hit game as seven different Bison had a hit.
Nascimento and Calabrese each had a hit. Their hits led off the seventh-inning rally with Nascimento singling and Calabrese hitting a bloop double before the onslaught of runs.
Game 2: Bucknell 20, Holy Cross 8
That momentum of the late rally in Game 1 carried right into Game 2 as the Bucknell led 7-0 after three innings. Holy Cross cut the lead to 7-5 with a five-run fifth, but the Bison scored 13 runs across the final four frames to pull away to a 20-8 win.
Bucknell drew a program-record 20 walks and tied its team record with seven hit batters. Bucknell's previous record was 14 walks, most recently set against Susquehanna in 2007. The last time seven Bison were hit with a pitch was in 2013 against Penn State.
Bucknell's 20 runs came on just 11 hits in the game. The Bison had crooked frames in five of the nine innings, including five in both the eighth and ninth. Seven different Bison had multiple RBIs. Fluharty and Bullock had three RBIs, and Morabito had five via his two triples.
Bullock reached base in all six plate appearances. The catcher was 2-for-2 with three RBIs, three runs scored, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Bullock roped a pitch off the top of the center field wall to score two runs to start a four-run third inning. Kender was 3-for-6 at the plate with two RBIs. Kender drove in both of his runs on a single as part of a five-run eighth inning.
It's a four-run fourth inning!! Bullock got the party started with this double off the top of the wall before Calabrese, Karp and Fluharty all drove in a run. BU leads 7-0! #rayBucknell
— Bucknell Baseball ⚾️ (@Bucknell_BB) March 28, 2025
Watch: https://t.co/nwU1tuDfdN@PatriotLeagueHQ | @espn pic.twitter.com/IMP8o9LI9u
Billy Fluharty opened the scoring with a two-run double in the second inning, and later brought in another on a sacrifice fly. Dunn upped his hitting and on base streak once again with an RBI single in the first. Dunn drove in another with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth.
Early lead! Fluharty turns on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to put BU in front. #rayBucknell
— Bucknell Baseball ⚾️ (@Bucknell_BB) March 28, 2025
Watch: https://t.co/nwU1tuDfdN@PatriotLeagueHQ | @espn pic.twitter.com/Zf7KYklXsK
Junior Michael Trommer drove in two runs on his three walks today. Trommer, Bullock and Calabrese each drew three walks, and Dunn drew a record-tying four walks.
Calabrese was 1-for-3 with his three walks, two RBIs and two runs scored. Brady Karp drove in a run on a sacrifice bunt. Karp walked and was hit with two pitches after wearing one in Game 1. Karp has been hit seven times this season in 10 games he has played in.
Freshman Everett Garber got the start on the mound in Game 2. The righthander started off strong with four scoreless innings until he ran into trouble in the fifth. Garber finished with a final line of four earned runs on four hits with four walks over 4.0 innings with three strikeouts.
Freshman Samuel Janik took over in the fifth, working three quick outs to get out of the inning with the lead intact. Janik then tossed a 1-2-3 sixth before allowing a run to score in the seventh, and he was credited with his first career win.
The Bison are back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader at Army starting at 1 p.m. at Doubleday Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Neill, Tyler (2-3)
L: Danny Macchiarola (4-3)
S: Adelmann, Jonathan (3)
Batting:
2B: Facinelli, Ryan 2 ; Calabrese, John 1
RBI: Fluharty, Billy 1 ; Dunn, Tyler 1 ; Kender, Billy 1 ; Facinelli, Ryan 1 ; Karp, Brady 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fluharty, Billy 1 ; Kender, Billy 1 ; Facinelli, Ryan 1 ; Nascimento, Luke 1 ; Calabrese, John 1 ; Karp, Brady 1
SB: Fluharty, Billy 1
HBP: Karp, Brady 1
Batting:
HR: Chris Baillargeon 1 ; Gianni Royer 1
RBI: Chris Baillargeon 2 ; Gianni Royer 2 ; Connor Cooney 1
SF: Connor Cooney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: C.J. Egrie 1 ; Chris Baillargeon 2 ; Jimmy King 1 ; Gianni Royer 1
SB: C.J. Egrie 1 ; Gianni Royer 1
CS: C.J. Egrie 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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IF
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