March 30, 2008

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Bucknell baseball team finished off its series with Army on Sunday with a sweep of the second doubleheader of the weekend. The Bison took game one, 8-5, and rode a solid pitching performance by freshman Dylan Seeley (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) to a 3-1 victory in game two. With the pair of wins, the Bison are now 13-10-2 on the season, 3-1 in the Patriot League, while the Black Knights fall to 6-16 and 1-3.

In game one, Army's Andy Ernesto scored the first run of the contest in the bottom of the first, coming home on an error after reaching with a single up the middle. Mike Greco then made it 2-0 with an RBI single that plated Cole White.

In the top of the second, Bucknell responded by batting around in the frame, scoring five runs on four hits. Senior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) reached on an error and sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset), the next Bison hitter, rocketed his fourth home run of the series to tie the score at two. Walks to seniors Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) and Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) followed by RBI singles from sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata), sophomore Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) and junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) gave the Orange and Blue a 5-3 lead.

The Black Knights got one of the runs back in their next turn at-bat. Tony Capozzi walked and scored on an RBI double by Ernesto.

Then in the top of the third, the Bison countered with two as senior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) and Rubbo crossed the plate on a single by Yoder.

In the bottom of the inning, the scoring continued, with Army pulling to within 7-4. Greco walked and Brandon Hines plated him with an RBI single. The Black Knights climbed to within two in the fourth with a RBI groundout by Kevin McKague.

Four singles for the Orange and Blue in the top of the seventh yielded the team's eighth run, with Rubbo driving in Turban.

Junior Jimmy Murphy (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) pitched four scoreless innings of relief for the Bison and picked up the win (1-0), allowing just two hits and striking out three, while walking none. Cole White took the loss (0-3) for the Black Knights. He went 6.2 innings and surrendered eight runs, five earned, on 12 hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

Yoder, Grandizio, Avanzino and Allen all went 2-for-4 in game one, Avanzino with a home run, a double, two RBI and a run scored.

After six scoreless innings in the second contest, Bucknell managed three runs in the seventh. Yoder walked and crossed the plate on an RBI single by Angelo. The next batter, Buursma, plated Grandizio, who reached with a single up the middle and Angelo came in on an error.

Army spoiled the shutout with a run in the ninth on an RBI single by Ben Koenigsfeld, but that would be all as Seeley went the distance for the Bison to earn the victory (2-0). He scattered one run on five hits with three walks and one strikeout over nine innings.

Joey Henshaw took the loss (1-4) for the Black Knights, giving up one run on two hits with five walks and five strikeouts in five innings of work.

Angelo led Bucknell at the plate in game two, going 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.

The Bison will be back in action this Wednesday, Apr. 2, at Penn State in a contest slated for 6:35 p.m.