March 25, 2008

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LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) blasted three home runs and drove in eight, helping the Bucknell baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Clarion on Tuesday afternoon at Depew Field. The Bison took the games by the scores of 15-3 and 19-1 to level their record at 9-9-2, while the Golden Eagles drop to 6-4.

Buursma led the Orange and Blue at the plate, going 6-for-8 over the two games while scoring four times and recording a double in addition to his three homers. Senior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) hit 5-for-7 on the day with a double, four RBI and three runs scored. Senior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) and junior Andrew Loucks (Mississauga, Ontario/Appleby College) finished with four RBI apiece, while junior Bret Sokirka (Wyoming, Pa./Wyoming Area) and sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) each drove in three.

Sixteen different Bucknell players had at least one hit, while 17 scored runs and 11 recorded RBI. As a squad, the Bison finished the afternoon with 32 hits, five doubles, four home runs and 33 RBI.

A leadoff double by Adam Foltz and a one out RBI single by Doug Brown in the first inning of game one gave Clarion its only lead of the day. Sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) tallied the first hit for the Orange and Blue with one down in the third inning and the squad never looked back. Bucknell scored three times on four hits in the third and tacked on another run in the fourth.

Holding a 4-1 advantage, the Bison broke the game open with nine runs on seven hits in the bottom of the fifth. Buursma led off the inning with a double and later blasted his first home run of the day as the Orange and Blue sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame.

The Golden Eagles managed to score twice in the sixth, tallying three of their eight hits from game one, but Bucknell took the runs back in its next turn at-bat to bring the final score to 15-3.

Freshman Dylan Seeley (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) picked up the win (1-0) for the Bison, allowing one run on three hits in three innings of work with no walks and no strikeouts. Rob Pollum took the loss (1-1) for Clarion, surrendering four runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

In game two, Bucknell began the scoring with four in the second. All four runs came with two outs, highlighted by a two-run single by Sokirka.

A solo home run by Buursma to lead off the third brought the score to 5-0 before the Bison added four runs on three hits in the fourth.

Then in the fifth, the Orange and Blue went up 11-0 with the help of back-to-back homers by Buursma, a three-run shot, and the second by Avanzino. Buursma's was his eighth of the season and 19th of his career, moving him into a tie for fourth in program history, two away from matching the school record. He also improved to eighth on the career RBI list (96) and is one shy of breaking into the top-10 for career hits, currently with 144.

The Golden Eagles scored their only run of the contest in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Adam Foltz.

Bucknell capped off the scoring with four in the bottom half of the inning. Loucks dove in two in the frame, ripping a single to right center.

Freshman Eric Jarrett (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) recorded the victory (3-2) for the Bison in game two. He worked three shutout innings and gave up three hits, while walking one and striking out three. John Hynes was tagged with the loss (1-1) for Clarion after letting up nine runs, five earned, on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

The Bison will be back out on Depew Field tomorrow, Mar. 26, when the squad will play host to Susquehanna, beginning at 4 p.m.