April 18, 2015

4 Game 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Lafayette 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 9 0 Bucknell 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 1 Box Score (HTML)|Box Score (PDF) 2

1 Game 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Lafayette 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 9 0 Bucknell 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 x 3 7 0 Box Score (HTML)|Box Score (PDF) 3

LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Lafayette baseball team maintained a one-game lead on Bucknell in the Patriot League standings by splitting a doubleheader with the Bison on Saturday at Depew Field.

The Leopards (8-19-1, 6-8) claimed the opener by a score of 4-2 before Bucknell (19-18, 5-9) answered back in game two with a 3-1 victory.

The Leopards tallied nine hits -- all singles -- in game one, including at least one in every inning.

Steven Cohen wasted no time in collecting the first one of the day when he led off with a poke to left field. After moving to second on an error and to third on a sacrifice bunt, Cohen was brought home on an RBI groundout by Toby Schwartz that put the Leopards up 1-0.

Bucknell claimed a brief 2-1 lead in the third by stringing together four hits, with the key play being a two-run single from Anthony Gingerelli that scored Brett Smith and Greg Wasikowski.

Lafayette starting pitcher David Bednar had not allowed a base runner until that third inning and would only allow two more -- on a single and hit batsman -- the rest of the way, as he went the distance to notch his third complete game of the season.

The Leopard offense supported Bednar by tacking on runs in each of the next three frames to set the final score at 4-2. Parker Hills scored Campbell Lipe from third on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, Alex Woinski plated Brett Thompson on a single to left in the fifth, and Hills brought home Lipe once more -- this time on a base hit -- in the sixth.

Lafayette collected nine more hits in the second contest -- two more than Bucknell -- but couldn't string more than two together at a time against Bison starter Xavier Hammond, who struck out six Leopards in a complete-game effort of his own.

Bucknell scored its first run in the fourth inning -- the only run permitted by Lafayette starter John Cain -- to take a 1-0 lead. Joe Ogren drew a leadoff walk before being sacrificed into scoring position by Spencer Stokes. Two batters later, Rob Krentzman singled home Ogren. Krentzman later scored the second run of the game in the seventh inning on a triple by Wasikowski.

The two squads traded runs in the eighth inning to set the final score at 3-1. Cohen doubled home Michael Coniglio for Lafayette's run, while Jon Mayer doubled in Tommy Pennington for Bucknell's run.

The Leopards and Bison will play two more games on Sunday, with first pitch set for noon.