March 31, 2007
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
LEWISBURG, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Freshman Kasey Karr was perfect through the first five innings and watched Lafayette put together a three-run seventh as the Leopards defeated Bucknell 4-2 in game two of a Patriot League softball doubleheader on Saturday. The Bison took the opener 3-2 as both teams traded runs in the seventh.
Karr put together the most impressive performance of her young career, as she retired the first 15 Bucknell batters in order. Meaghan Haley held the Leopards scoreless through the first five innings as well before Christina Giambrone and Kristen Ruckno hammered back-to-back doubles to lead off the sixth and give Lafayette a 1-0 lead.
Lauren Litts broke up the perfect game bid to open the bottom of the sixth, and Bucknell scored a pair of unearned runs using a wild pitch, a walk and a throwing error to go ahead 2-1.
Sara Bussiere led off the seventh with a pinch-hit single and Robyn Matchett bunted for a base hit before Litts retired the next two batters. Giambrone drew a walk to extend the game, and Ruckno came through with a two-run single down the left field line. Megan Averbuch singled to score Giambrone before the Bison got out of the inning, and Lafayette held a 4-2 advantage.
Karr gave up a single in the seventh, just the second Bucknell hit of the game, but there was no further damage as she closed out the game and improved to 4-4 on the season.
Timely hitting in the final inning was also the story of the opening game, as Lafayette entered the top of the seventh facing a 2-1 deficit. Ruckno led off with a single and was lifted for Kelly Higgins, who entered as a pinch runner. Higgins advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sarah Price and to third on a groundout by Allison LoBello, and Averbuch came through with a single to left to score the tying run.
The momentum was shortlived, however, as Ashley Beans homered off Averbuch to lead off the bottom of the inning and give Bucknell a 3-2 victory.
Christie Wiest picked up the win for the Bison, surrendering five hits and striking out six in the complete game effort.
The series continues on Sunday with the opening game bumped up two hours to 10 a.m. to negate the threat of impending rain in central Pennsylvania.
