EASTON, Pa. – The Lafayette baseball team split its Saturday doubleheader with the Bucknell Bison. Bucknell (10-13, 7-3 PL) was victorious in game one, 6-1, while Lafayette (9-19, 4-2 PL) defeated the Bison in game two, 3-1.
 
The Leopards were led in game one by senior Dylan Minghini who went 1-for-3 with one RBI and sophomore Justin Grech went 3-for-3 with one run. Starting pitcher sophomore Luke Benneche went 6.0 innings while striking out a career-high 11.
 
Game two saw freshmen Easton Brenner and Michael Zarrillo and junior Kyle Chmielewski lead the way with Brenner going 2-for-3 with one run, Zarrillo going 2-for-4 with one run and Chmielewski going 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Junior Pete Ciuffreda also drove in a pair of runs.
 
Starting pitcher junior Jake Bloss went 8.0 innings and struck out a career-high 15, allowing just one run and four hits. Junior Jacob Ciccone came in for one inning of relief to earn his second save of the season.
 
Lafayette struck first in the first game of the day, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Grech came home on a single by Minghini.
 
Bucknell had the final say in game one as the Bison scored two runs in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead. They then added three more in the fifth and one more in the seventh to secure the game one victory, 6-1.
 
Lafayette was the first to bring a run across home plate in the second game after Zarrillo started off the bottom of the fourth with single. Senior Evan Kiah then drew a walk, advancing Zarrillo to second. Both runners then advanced a base on a wild pitch, putting both in scoring position for Chmielewski. Chmielewski hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Zarrillo home and give Lafayette a 1-0 lead.
 
The Lafayette Nine added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth after a single by Ciuffreda brought runners on second and third home.
 
Bucknell scored in the top of the eighth to put the score at 3-1 but, Ciccone and the Lafayette defense were able to hold the Bison to just one run as they secured the 3-1 game two victory.
 
The Leopards are back in action on Sunday as they are set to welcome Navy to Kamine for a doubleheader. First pitch of the day is slated for 12 p.m.