Holy Cross Uses Three Big Innings to Take Series Opener, 14-5

Friday, April 10

Lewisburg, Pa.

3:30 p.m.

Bucknell University

18-13, 11-2

Holy Cross

15-16, 9-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Holy Cross	0	0	5	0	0	0	5	0	4	14	15	1
Bucknell	0	0	2	0	1	1	0	0	1	5	14	3

Photo by: Alisa Mitchell

Holy Cross Uses Three Big Innings to Take Series Opener, 14-5

4/10/2026 7:35:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Holy Cross used two five-run innings and a four-spot in the ninth to turn back Bucknell 14-5 in the opener of a four-game series between the Patriot League's top two teams on Friday at Depew Field at Marren Park. Billy Fluharty had a four-hit day and Garrett Mathias hit his sixth home run of the season for the Bison, who fell to 18-13 overall and 11-2 in conference play. The defending-champion Crusaders improved to 15-16 overall and 9-4 in the Patriot League.

Holy Cross jumped ahead 5-0 on a pair of home runs in the third inning. The Bison chipped away and pulled within 5-4 in the sixth, but the Crusaders broke it open again with five in the top of the seventh and four more in the ninth.

Bucknell starter Everett Garber struck out seven and was only scored upon in one of his five innings of work, but a three-run homer from Alex Sandell and a two-run shot from John LaFleur broke up a scoreless deadlock in the top of the third.

Mathias yanked a two-run homer around the right-field foul pole to make it 5-2 in the bottom of the third. Back-to-back doubles from Ty Lagoni and Mathias to open the fifth brought the Bison within 5-3 in the fifth, and then Bucknell had a good chance to tie it in the sixth but only managed one run.

Ryan Facinelli led off with a double and then Fluharty beat out a perfect bunt. Fluharty stole second to put men at second and third before leading hitter Michael Trommer laced a line drive right at the second baseman. Lagoni followed with a pop fly that landed just inside the right-field chalk. Facinelli scored but Fluharty was tagging up at second and could only move up one base on the double. Holy Cross reliever Jake Lenahan preserved the lead and stranded two in scoring position with a strikeout and a ground ball.

That proved big when the Crusaders came right back in the top of the seventh with another five-run rally, fueled by four straight hits from the 5-8 hitters in the lineup. Ryan Grundy led off that uprising by getting nicked with a 2-2 pitch, and then Grundy's three-run double put the game out of reach in the ninth.

Bucknell did get one back in the bottom of the ninth on Lleyton Coupe's RBI double, but that was Lenahan's only blemish in four innings of relief. He allowed just the one run on five hits while striking out three on the way to his second save of the season.

Fluharty notched his third four-hit game of the year and his fourth multi-hit game in the last six. He raised his season batting average 22 points to .299. Lagoni, Mathias, and Zach Selfon added two hits apiece. The Bison had 14 hits in the game but stranded 13 runners on base.

CJ Egrie, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, went 3-for-5 with three stolen bases, and LaFleur had three hits and three RBIs.

The series resumes on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon.