March 9, 2008

Box Score

BRADENTON, Fla. - With the help of a school record eight doubles, the Bucknell baseball team cruised to an 8-3 win over IPFW on Sunday morning on IMG Field. The win extended the Bison's unbeaten streak to five straight as the squad now holds a 4-2-2 record on the season, while the Mastodons fall to 1-6-1.

Bucknell's offense, which combined for 15 hits, broke the program mark for doubles in a game, surpassing the previous record of seven that had been set both in 1975 against Rochester and in 1990 against Lehigh.

The Orange and Blue began the scoring in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back doubles by sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) and senior Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber) yielded the first run of the contest. Then with one out, senior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) blasted the third double of the frame to bring in Pieper. Junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) plated the next two with a double that scored Turban and sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) to move the score to 4-0.

Three straight doubles by senior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown), Turban and senior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) to start the bottom of the seventh resulted in two more runs for Bucknell. Allen followed up with a single to drive in Rubbo for the third run of the frame.

The Bison tacked on one more in the eighth. Sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) led off with a double and freshman David Bergstrom (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), who pinch ran for Avanzino, later scored on a sacrifice fly by Turban.

IPFW spoiled Bucknell's shutout in their final turn at-bat, touching up the Bison relievers for three runs on four hits.

Freshman Eric Jarrett (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) started for the Orange and Blue and picked up the win (2-1), tossing eight shutout innings and holding the Mastodons to just three hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Ryan VanDriessche pitched 3.1 innings for IPFW and took the loss (0-1), giving up three runs on six hits with three walks and one strikeout.

Six Bison batters posted two-hit performances in the contest, led by Turban who finished 2-for-3 at the plate with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. Chris Gottschall was the lone member of the Mastodons' lineup to tally multiple hits, going 2-for-4.

Bucknell returns to action tomorrow, Mar. 10, as the squad will take on Eastern Kentucky at 10:30 a.m.