April 5, 2009
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Sunday started on a high note for the Leopards, as they won the opening game against Bucknell, a win that gave head coach Joe Kinney his 200th career victory. Lafayette was primed for a sweep of the Bison but fell just short as the squad lost an 11-2 decision in the series finale.
The Leopards (13-15, 4-4) claimed an 8-4 victory in an eight-inning first game, one that gave Kinney career win number 200, all of which have come at Lafayette. Starter Jeremy Atkins went the distance, giving up four runs on 10 hits while walking only one and striking out three Bucknell batters. A.J. Pisarri led the Leopards with three RBI on two hits.
The Bison (12-17, 4-4) opened up a slim, 1-0 lead in the first inning on Andrew Brouse's two-out, RBI triple that scored Ben Yoder, who had reached on a double.
Bucknell lost that lead the very next inning as Lafayette took a 2-1 advantage. A.J. Miller drew a one-out walk and Alex Bechta followed with a double to left field. Pisarri came through with a single to center field that scored both runners and made it 2-1.
It remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth. Bret Sokirka reached on a fielder's choice and Ben Allen's bunt single sent him to third. A throwing error allowed Sokirka to score on the play. Dane Grandizio then doubled down the left field line to score Allen and make it 3-2 in favor of the Bison.
The Leopards responded the very next inning. Jeff Butler led off with a walk and advanced to third on Matt Hall's infield single. Justin Shepherd then hit a sac fly to left field to send Butler home as the tying run.
The game remained tied at three after seven innings, sending the game into extra innings. It didn't remain tied for long, however, as the Leopards broke through for five runs in their half of the eighth.
With two outs, Brad Weiss drew a one-out walk and Shepherd singled up the middle. Miller drove a single of his own to center field, scoring Weiss. A fielding error on a ball hit by Rob Froio sent Shepherd home and Pisarri's two-out single plated Miller. Daniel Bierce followed with another single that scored Pisarri and Froio, giving Lafayette the 8-3 lead.
Atkins came out to pitch the eighth inning and got Yoder to fly out for the first out. Brouse then cut the lead to four with a homer to left field, making it 8-4. Atkins kept his composure, though, and got another fly out and a ground out to clinch the 8-4 Leopard victory.
The Leopards did not fare as well in the series finale. Starter Ryan Hanna lasted six innings and gave up just three runs on eight hits but the Lafayette bullpen gave up eight runs in final 1.1 innings. Bierce and Miller both had three-hit games with Miller driving in two runs.
Both teams scored solo runs in their halves of the second inning. Lafayette's came on Miller's RBI single to center field that scored Hall, who had opened the inning with a walk. Bucknell's also came on a RBI single, this one off the bat of Andrew Loucks, who knocked a hit to left field to score Brouse, who was on third after leading off with a triple.
The fifth also saw each team scrape a run across. Miller hit a one-out home run to right field while the Bison's Bob Donato singled home Allen with a hit down the right field line.
Bucknell took a one-run lead the following inning. Loucks reached first on a fielder's choice and took second on Grandizio's single. Loucks came around to score the go-ahead run when LaRosa singled through the left side, giving the Bison a 3-2 edge.
The Bison tacked on eight more runs in the eighth inning courtesy of seven hits, a Lafayette error and a sac fly as Bucknell stretched its lead to 11-2. Freshmen Ian Dickson and Sean McGrath combined to give up the seven runs.
Lafayette was retired in order in the ninth and 11-2 stood as the final score.
The Leopards finally open their home season on Tuesday when they host Penn at 3:30 in the first game of a 17-game homestand.
