March 20, 2008

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LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior Jason Buursma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) drew a bases loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the 10th to help the Bucknell baseball squad complete its comeback victory over Mount St. Mary's on Thursday afternoon on Depew Field. With the win, the Bison move to 6-7-2, while The Mount falls to 0-12 on the year.

Mount St. Mary's wasted little time getting things going offensively, striking for three runs on three hits in the top of the first. With one out, Zach Helman walked and scored on the next play, an RBI double by Drew Counselman. The following batter, Josh Vittek, plated Counselman with a single to center and Ryan Murray doubled in Vittek to push the advantage to 3-0.

That would be all, however, as freshman Eric Jarrett (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) and Buursma held The Mount scoreless the rest of the way, scattering just three hits in the remaining nine innings.

Bucknell crept to within a run in the bottom of the second. Senior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) led off with a double and moved to third on a single by senior Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) before coming home on a successful double steal play with one gone in the frame. Sophomore Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) brought in Hirsch for the second run with a single up the middle.

The score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the ninth when the Bison rallied for a run to force extra innings. Buursma punched a one-out single through the left side and advanced to third after Turban walked and senior Chris Pieper (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber) was hit by a pitch. The next batter, Hirsch, plated Buursma with a sacrifice fly to knot the score at three.

Bucknell went on to win the game in its next turn at-bat. Allen led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley). The Bison did not need to put the ball in play again to get the winning run home as three straight walks to junior Dane Grandizio (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg), senior Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) and Buursma forced in Allen.

Buursma collected the victory (2-0) after pitching 2.1 hitless innings of relief for the Orange and Blue with no walks and three strikeouts. Jarrett settled in after the first and surrendered just three runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts over 7.2 innings. Kent Worthington took the loss (0-1) for The Mount, giving up one run on one hit with one walk and no strikeouts in one-third of an inning. Starter Max Brittenham threw nine innings and allowed three runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Hirsch went 2-for-3 and Allen batted 2-for-4 to help lead the Bison offensively, both with an RBI and a run scored apiece. Angelo finished 2-for-4 at the plate, as well.

Bucknell will be back in action this Saturday, Mar. 22, when the squad will face Long Island in Dover, Del., at 2:30 p.m.