April 21, 2008

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. - With the help of a historic home run by senior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School), the Bucknell baseball team finished off its Patriot League series against Navy with a dramatic 5-4 victory on Depew Field on Monday afternoon. The win, which moved the Bison to 20-18 on the year and 9-7 in league play, puts the squad one game back of first-place Army and Holy Cross heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Following the loss, the Midshipmen are now 23-19 overall and 8-8 in the Patriot League.

Navy squad scored the first run of the day in the top of the second. Mitch Harris led off the frame with a double to left, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on an RBI single by Jeff Bland.

Bucknell then promptly tied the score at one in its next turn at-bat. Sophomore John Avanzino (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) starting things off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg) and crossed the plate on a single through the right side by senior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown).

After two scoreless innings, the Midshipmen climbed back in front with a run in the fifth as Renaldo Hollins doubled down the left field line to begin the inning and Thomas Hamilton drove him in with a one-out single. Kendall Bolt followed up with another single, giving Navy two base runners with just one away in the frame, but freshman hurler Dylan Seeley (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) escaped the jam for the Orange and Blue with two fly outs, contributing to the Mids' total of 12 left on base in the contest.

Then in the bottom of the frame, the Bison grabbed a 4-2 lead with one swing of the bat as Buursma blasted a two-out three run homer over the left field fence, plating senior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) and sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata). The home run was Buursma's 21st of his career, tying a school record that was previously set by Roger Ahrens and Tyler Prout. He improved his ranking on the program's single season list as well, as he now has 10 on the year to match the third-highest total in Bison history, posted by Peter Cann in 1997.

In the bottom of the sixth, Bucknell collected its fifth run as Angelo was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and came around to score on fielder's choice with senior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) picking up an RBI on the play.

That run for the Orange and Blue would prove to be a pivotal one as Navy threatened a comeback in the top of the ninth. With the bases loaded and no outs, Hamilton knocked in a pair of runs with a single to center that scored Mike Guadagnini and Hollins to bring the Mids within one of the Bison at 5-4. Freshman Trey Frahler (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) entered the game for Bucknell and struck out the first batter he faced, Bolt, looking. Harris then reached on a fielder's choice as the Orange and Blue recorded out number two at second base. Despite walking Bland on a 3-2 count to load the bases, Frahler got Jonathan Wright to ground out to first to seal the victory for the Bison and log his first career save.

Seeley recorded the win (3-1) for Bucknell as he worked six innings and allowed just two runs despite surrendering 10 hits, with two walks and no strikeouts. Yale Eckert took the loss (1-5) for Navy as he gave up five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Six different Bison contributed one hit apiece in the contest as the squad was led by Buursma's three RBI on the home run. Hamilton went 4-for-5 for the Mids with three RBI.

Bucknell will next head to Olean, N.Y., to take on St. Bonaventure this Wednesday at 3 p.m., before closing out the regular season with a PL series against Lehigh at home next weekend.