Box Score
April 6, 2018
EASTON, Pa. -- Bucknell's Reanne Geffert struck out five and scattered three hits as the Bison topped Lafayette 2-0 in the series opener on Friday evening in Patriot League play.
In the third inning, Bucknell (15-18, 5-2) got on the scoreboard with a run on an Anna Gimmestad sac fly. Two more runs would have scored were it not for Paige Grover's inning-ending catch in right field.
Taylor Wolfgang doubled the visitors' lead with one swing of the bat, belting a solo home run off Lafayette starter Stacy Gordon in the top of the fourth.
Gordon pitched four innings, allowing two runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in the loss.
Alexis Randall entered the circle in the top of the fifth. She pitched into and out of trouble, getting a 1-3 groundout to end the inning with two Bucknell runners aboard.
The Leopards had a scoring chance in the bottom of the fifth inning. Maddie Wensel ripped a one-out double to right centerfield. Malori Pojar followed by looping a single down the first-base line, but Wensel could not score while waiting to see if the ball was caught. Pojar made the second out of the inning, gunned down trying to steal second, and Randall's pop-up ended the inning with Lafayette trailing 2-0.
Randall continued to walk the tightrope in the top of the seventh. With runners on second and third and two outs, head coach Caitlyn de la Haba chose to walk No. 3 hitter Meghan Kovac load the bases. Randall struck out Lauren Hadley on five pitches to end the threat. Randall threw the final three innings and did not give up a run while striking out two.
Lafayette had its final chance in the bottom of the seventh with the Leopards Nos. 3,4,5 hitters due up. Geffert (10-7) retired Brooke Wensel and Miranda Skurla, but Maddie Wensel reached on a fielding error. Pojar singled to bring the winning run to the plate in Randall. Randall, who had just 13 at-bats entering the game, put a solid swing on the Geffert offering but it was caught by the rightfielder to end the game.
The Leopards (4-26, 1-6) host Bucknell in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.
