April 28, 2003
Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
LEWISBURG, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Bucknell knocked Lafayette out of contention for the third and final spot in the Patriot League Tournament with a pair of wins over the Leopards on Monday in conference action. The Leopards lost a pitcher's duel 3-1 in game one and dropped an 8-5 decision in game two.
With Bucknell and Navy already occupying the top two seeds in the Patriot League Tournament, the Leopards will still play a large part in determining the final team for the three-team conference tournament. Lafayette will host Lehigh at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in a makeup game from March 29. If Lafayette wins, Army will get the third seed in the tournament. A Lafayette loss would give Lehigh a berth in the third seed. Lafayette won the previous three meetings between the archrivals this season.
In game one on Monday, Bucknell scored two runs in the bottom of the second. A run-scoring triple from Brian Day plated the first run of the inning. Bucknell scored the eventual game-winning run when the next batter, Phil Bunting, grounded out to short to score Day.
The Leopards managed to cut the Bucknell lead in half in the top of the fifth. Jeff Rodgers drove in Matt Tambellini (2-for-3) with a single up the middle to make the score 2-1.
Bucknell added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Ben Krentzman drove in Brian Hirschberg to make it 3-1.
Zach Allen threw five innings for Bucknell in the win that improved him to 6-2. He allowed one run on six hits over five innings. Matt Daley came on in the sixth to finish off the game and earn his fifth save of the season. Joe Saporetti (2-5) took the loss after giving up just three runs on six hits over six innings.
In game two, Lafayette held a lead a 5-4 lead in the second inning, but surrendered three runs in the fourth inning to fall 8-5.
The Leopards scored in their first at-bat following singles by Rodgers, Adam Rosenberg and Adam Bucci. The final hit by Bucci scored Rodgers to give the 'Pards a 1-0 lead.
Bucknell answered back with four runs in the home first, three of which came plateward on a bases-loaded triple by Krentzman. Bucknell knocked Lafayette starter Tom Soldan from the game before he retired a batter.
Lafayette recaptured the lead in the top of the second inning, scoring four runs of its own. Jason Boyd doubled to bring in a run and Rosenberg drove in two more. Tripp Williams also knocked in a run in the inning to give Lafayette a 5-4 lead.
The Leopards held the slim lead until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Bucknell put a three-spot on the scoreboard. After scoring a run to tie the game on a passed ball, the Bison took the lead for good on a two-run home run by Kyle Walter off Lafayette reliever Paul Fischetti.
Fischetti (0-3) threw four innings, allowing three runs on three hits and three strikeouts. Drew Moyer threw the final two innings for Lafayette. He gave up one run on three hits while striking out three. Kevin Burns (5-1) earned the win despite allowing five runs on nine hits over five innings.
Rodgers and Russ Giglio both went 3-for-4 for the Leopards while nine different players registered hits for the Bison.
