Feb. 17, 2008

Bucknell-Pittsburgh Box Score (W, 4-1)
Bucknell-Morehead State Box Score (L, 3-1)

FARMVILLE, Va. - The Bucknell softball team wrapped up the final day of play on its opening weekend of the 2008 season Sunday at the Longwood Lancer Leadoff Classic. The Bison opened the day with their first victory of the year, defeating Pittsburgh 4-1. They followed with a 3-1 loss to Morehead State.

Bucknell finished the weekend with a 1-4 record, but its win over the Panthers was impressive, given the Panthers' victories over then-No. 16 Virginia Tech and then-No. 25 Missouri last week.

In that game against Pittsburgh, the Bison scored all four of their runs in the fifth inning as the Panthers committed five errors within a span of four hitters. The first four Bucknell hitters each reached base and each scored. The next three went down in order. Sam Rollandi (San Carlos, Calif./Notre Dame Belmont) picked up the lone RBI in the game for the Bison.

Bucknell managed five hits in the game, but just three came outside of that important fifth inning. Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) was 2-for-3 as she was the lone Bison to record more than one hit.

Christie Wiest (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) won the 21st game of her career as she registered her third complete game of the young season. She yielded five hits, two walks and just one run, while striking out one.

Pittsburgh's lone run came on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. The Panthers had just three runners reach third base in the game.

In the Morehead State game, Bucknell's Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) knocked in Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) with a game-tying sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. However, a two-run double in the sixth by Bethany Ellis gave the Eagles the lead for good.

Katie McDonald (York, Pa./West York Area) started and pitched 5.1 innings for Bucknell. She yielded seven hits and all three runs before Wiest replaced her after Ellis' go-ahead double. Morehead State touched Wiest for just one hit and one walk in her 1.2 innings of work.

Bucknell managed just two hits in the contest with Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) registering a leadoff single in the sixth and Shelly McCormack (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood) hammering a no-out double to left in the fifth.

The Bison will return to action Saturday, Feb. 23, when they travel to UMBC for a doubleheader.