Category: Sports

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Men Sports Wrestling

Male Rookie of the Year

By Scott Padula
Staff Writer

Throughout the year, Austin Miller ’15 has proven he is and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the wrestling team. In his first year of collegiate competition, Miller captured a team-best 22 victories, placed third at the EIWA Championships and became the first rookie wrestler for the Orange and Blue to qualify for NCAA Championships since 2009. On the year, Miller posted a record of 22-14 and separated himself as a top-of-the-line competitor for the Bison.

“Wrestling is a unique sport where there are numerous different aspects: mental, physical and emotional. Austin has done a tremendous job in figuring these areas of the sport out, and is an extremely confident individual. He has a bright future here at Bucknell, and will accomplish his goals of becoming an All-American and NCAA champion if he continues to build on the successes and failures he has had this past year,” team co-captain Joe McMullan ’13 said.

Time and time again, Miller proved to be a tremendous competitor, elevating his game to unparalleled levels when it mattered most. Notably, Miller won a pivotal match against ranked opponent Garrett Frey of Princeton by a score of 10-9. Miller’s win marked his first win over a ranked opponent and jump-started a  27-9 Bison victory. 

Later in the season, Miller went 3-1 versus four seeded opponents at the EIWA Championships. His only loss came in the semifinal round at the hands of Frank Perrelli of Cornell, the eventual EIWA champion of the 125-pound weight class.

One way in which Miller was able to achieve his tremendous success was through an unwavering determination to improve and develop into a more balanced wrestler. Every day, Miller entered the wrestling room with a commitment that was second to none.

“I put in a lot of extra hours in the wrestling room individually to prepare for competition just as most people put in many extra hours studying for a big test. In the end it was just the belief in what my coaches were telling me to do and the belief in myself to improve and get better every day,” Miller said.

Still, Miller attributes a large portion of the success he has experienced this season to the faith he put in his coaches. Through their tutelage, Miller was able to make a smooth transition from high school to collegiate wrestling and has improved his technique significantly since stepping on campus.

“I think most of my success was due to the transition that I made. I was able to make this transition by working a lot individually with my coaches. I tried my best to listen to everything they said and improve upon my lesser strengths which they pointed out. One thing my coach always says is to be a ‘student of the sport’ and I really did my best to accomplish that,” Miller said.

Although Miller achieved phenomenal success that any collegiate wrestler would be proud of, Miller is not satisfied. He claims that he has not reached his full potential in his young collegiate wrestling career. Miller’s unrelenting attitude matches that of a champion and his drive certainly serves as a primary reason why Miller was so successful in his first season.

If Miller continues to approach the sport with his unwavering confidence and strong work ethic, it is likely that he will add to his already impressive list of accomplishments. Already eyeing next season, the Orange and Blue faithful should expect nothing less than great things from Austin Miller as he looks to improve on a fantastic rookie season.

” I am very proud of Austin and all that he has accomplished during his freshman campaign,” said head coach Dan Wirnsberger. “His best wrestling is ahead of him because of his commitment and dedication for the sport he loves.  Austin is well deserving of this honor.”

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Sports Swimming & Diving Women

Female Athlete of the Year

By Katherine Harris

Staff Writer

Women’s diver Katie Hetherington ’15 could have never anticipated the immediate success she would have when she first stepped into Arthur D. Kinney Jr. Natatorium this fall.

“I think I had a really great season and I accomplished a lot more than I expected to,” Hetherington said. “My only real expectation was to make it to Patriots.”

Because Hetherington was already a successful diver in high school before she arrived on campus, especially in the three-meter board, coaches knew that she was going to make a big impact on the diving program. Even they didn’t anticipate exactly how much of a splash she was going to make in the competitive waters.

“I knew she was going to be good, but I had no idea she was as good as she is,” diving coach Errol Carter said. “I knew she would be our next team record holder but had no idea it would all happen in her first semester.”

While it is often difficult for first-years to come into a program and succeed right away, standing out was not an issue for Hetherington, whose success in the pool was immediate. In fact, she was already breaking records in her first-ever collegiate meet this fall.

In the meet on Oct. 1, Hetherington outperformed not only the divers from opposing UMBC, but also a very talented group of teammates, diving her way into the school record books. Her score of 264.68 broke the one-meter board record for the Bison, and also created what she cites as one of her most memorable performances of the season.

“I was very nervous at the beginning of the meet because I expected a lot of myself, as I do every meet. Honestly, the possibility of breaking a record never crossed my mind. I was just hoping to not mess up too badly,” Hetherington said. “When I was told I broke the one-meter record, I was ecstatic. I would not have been more excited.”

And the success didn’t stop there by a long shot as Hetherington continued her first collegiate season. On Nov. 18, she broke the three-meter board school record at the Bucknell Invitational with a score of 285.05.

“[Hetherington] was in second or third place after the prelims and her score was within a couple of points of the record. I recall her saying, ‘I want to break that record.’ That night during finals, she shattered the record and qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Meet, the second [Bison] to do so in my time [13 seasons] as coach here,” Carter said.

By the end of the season, Hetherington had won both boards on five different occasions for a total of 13 overall wins. At the Patriot League Championships, a third-place finish in the 1m and a second in the 3m rounded out her impressive in-conference season.

Part of what has made Hetherington so successful in her career already is her willingness to learn and listen to what her coaches have to say to her. She has also supported her teammates in a sport where individual competition is very intense to say the least.

“She is not only a great athlete, but a great teammate as well. She is so humble, and she brings an energy to practice that is completely unique from everyone else on the team,” teammate Tara Boyle ’15 said. “It is way too hard to pick a best performance of hers from this season because she was so consistently successful all year.”

Hetherington’s scores also qualified her for the NCAA Zone “A” Diving Meet, a competition where the top four divers qualify for seeds in the NCAA Championships. The first-year represented the Bison as their solo competitor at the event, placing 41st on the 1m board and 36th on the 3m board with scores of 192.75 and 204.85 in the respective preliminaries.

“Katie’s such a strong competitor because she never lets herself get psyched out mentally.  She always keeps it positive and has so much fun in practice and at meets, making her not only a better diver but also an influential contributor to the team dynamic,” teammate Liz Porcellio ’13 said.

Even with all of this success as a first-year, Hetherington is far from satisfied. She has already set her sights on her goals for next year and hopes to take her impressive performances to new heights in her sophomore season.

“Next year my goal would be to qualify to Zones again and hopefully perform better there. I would also like to learn some harder dives to increase the difficulty of my list,” Hetherington said.

The first-year’s coaches are also excited at the prospect of her improving even more in the years to come. In the off-season, she will be working with them constantly to keep herself ahead of the competition, especially many of her own teammates who are working very hard to reach her level of success as well.

“I feel that if Katie gets over her hangups that many divers have, and starts to believe how good she can be, the sky is the limit,” Carter said. “She already has the dives and skill; we need to fine-tune some of those skills and get her tough dives consistently good. If her next few years are anything like this one, I see the records getting higher and higher and her doing better and better at the NCAA Zone meet and potentially getting close to Nationals.”

Categories
Football Men Sports

Male Athlete of the Year

By Alex Wagner
Assistant Sports Editor

To put it plainly, Bryce Robertson ’12 embodies what college football coaches look for in their players.  The cornerback and punt returner is an exceptional athlete with a strong drive to succeed, as well as a great teammate and leader on and off the field.  These qualities have made him a standout student-athlete over his four years, which has culminated in an outstanding senior campaign.

In his hometown of Reserve, La., Robertson was a football and basketball star at East St. John High School. Although he was certainly an accomplished player from an area with quality high school programs, it was not easy to tell what a huge role he would play during his time in Lewisburg.

Even for a casual fan, Robertson’s impact on the Orange and Blue’s football program is clear. His numerous accolades and statistics speak for themselves. He was named the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Elite Defensive Back for 2011. He was an All-American selection by the Associate Press, The Sports Network, Walter Camp and Phil Steele. He was a First Team All-Patriot League selection, Academic All-Patriot League Football selection and a C. Dale Wolfe Recognition Award recipient, given to the most inspirational player on the team.

Robertson’s 13 interceptions in 2011 shattered the previous 24-year-old Patriot League record of nine. In fact, it is not uncommon for a whole team to have less than 13 interceptions during a season. His 184 interception return yards were a program record, which also helped him add up a career high 346 all-purpose yards in 2011. He was also tied for a team-high with six pass breakups.

These numbers are the work of a player who led the Bison defense that forced 39 turnovers, contributing to a +2.45 turnover margin per game, which led the nation.

But in reality, the awards and statistics don’t tell the whole story. Head coach Joe Susan paints a better picture of what makes Robertson such a special player.

“Bryce is confident in his ability, [which] is critical to being a cornerback at any level in football. He anticipates well. He is an explosive athlete and has very good strength for someone at his position. He has very good quickness, and good speed. He has very good hands [which] make catching interceptions a lot easier. He is fearless, a critical factor for a corner,” Susan said.

When speaking about what makes him successful, Robertson is quick to highlight three main factors.

“Firstly, the new coaching staff implemented a new defensive scheme upon their arrival. I embraced the challenge and did what I had to on and off the field in order to become the most productive player I could for the team. Secondly, the full support of my coaches also was monumental in my success on the field. Lastly, but definitely not least, the outstanding pressure that was produced by our defensive line and blitz schemes also added to what I was able to accomplish on the field,” Robertson said.

Any great player must learn to work well with and learn from their coaching staff, and Robertson certainly embraced the lessons of cornerbacks coach Chip Taylor, who Robertson says has been the most influential figure for him at the University.

“He was a good friend to me and some of the other guys on the team. He has taught me many things that I have assimilated into my game in order to become a more complete player, as well as many life lessons that I will keep with me throughout my life long after my tenure at Bucknell has ended,” Robertson said.

Although his play at cornerback has garnered him much attention, Robertson is also extremely valuable to the Bison as a punt returner. In 2011, he returned 18 punts for 140 yards.

“He was consistent as a punt returner and saved our team many hidden yards just by catching punts,” Susan said.

Despite the huge success he enjoyed during his final season, the going was not always easy for Robertson. He was hampered by a hamstring injury during his junior year, which meant that he had to commit to making changes so that he would be healthy for the 2011 season.

“He was an example for others in the weight room and in our running program. He was always willing to do extra work be it physical or mental, ‘student of the game’ work,” Susan said.

The extra work in the off season obviously paid off for Robertson and the Bison in 2011, when they saw an impressive five-win turnaround from the previous year.

Robertson’s favorite moments during the season were every time the team gathered after a win to sing their fight song. It is certainly gratifying when all of the work put in during practice and weight room sessions produces the desired goal.

Due to the confidence gained during this past season, Robertson plans to enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

“My plan after graduation is to chase the dream. It is not often that people get to actually make a living participating in a sport that they aspired to be a part of since they were a toddler. So it is truly a blessing that I have the opportunity to do so, and … I [intend] to take full advantage of it,” Robertson said.

Everyone in the Bison community certainly wishes him the best of luck in his journey to take his game to the highest level. But if that doesn’t work out for him, he has a promising backup plan as well.

“I would be more than happy to obtain a finance career and become a productive member of society, building off the foundation of a Bucknell education,” Robertson said.

Susan agrees that Robertson is prepared for life after college, wherever that may lead him.

“As a coaching staff we feel fortunate to have the privilege of coaching young men like Bryce. He is a very charismatic young man who has a great sense of people,” Susan said.

No matter what comes for Robertson in the coming years, the Orange and Blue will always be grateful for his huge contributions to the football program.

Categories
Featured Football Men Sports

Coach of the Year


By Eric Brod
Senior Writer

Great leaders often define themselves in times of controversy or crisis. For head football coach Joseph Susan, the defining moment of his early career as coach of the Orange and Blue could have come this season.

After the team finished 1-10 in his first season, Susan knew he had a tough task ahead of him in revitalizing the football program. Just one year later, the Bison, propelled by a newfound tenacity and team unity under Susan, improved to 6-5 overall (2-3 in league play) and set the tone going into the 2012 season as a contender in the Patriot League.

“Each team is buying into the system that Coach Susan is trying implement with the Bucknell Football program,” said tight end Terna Ityokumbul ’13.  “I think it’s also another year running the same plays and not just running the plays to run them, but knowing what each person’s role in the play is and seeing the overall picture.”

To improve by five wins in one season with just an 11-game schedule is no small feat for any team, and takes a strong and supportive leader to get players to buy into a system after producing just one win in the prior season. 

“I believe the biggest difference in our team this year was the way our players bought into how we approach the game. It is not an overnight process,” Susan said. “The impact of how we strength train, how we condition, how we study the game is one that takes time to build.”

Susan said trust among the players and coaches is essential to building a successful football program.

“There was a lot more trust in one another [this year]. [Players] also developed a lot more self-confidence. That is crucial to being able to play together,” Susan said. “Trust is a word that has depth of meaning when it comes to tying 95 players, nine coaches, five trainers, six managers and other support personnel into one vision.”

Quite possibly the greatest change in the team was seen on defense, where the Bison held the FCS’s highest turnover differential in the regular season at +27. The Bison also recorded their first shutout since 2001 with their 21-0 win over Fordham.

“One of the biggest changes was how we did with the ball,” Susan said. “We led the nation in turnover margin. It is something we teach, and something we practice every day. Our players have to trust the system for it to work.”

Bryce Robertson ’12, who led the nation in interceptions with 13, said Susan worked with the players to build trust and change the overall mindset of the team through his SAM concept. SAM stands for “Selfless, Accountable and Mentally tough,” and everything that Susan has implemented into the program revolves around these three ideas.

For Robertson personally, Susan’s teachings were a major factor for him having one of the top seasons for a defender in the entire history of the Orange and Blue football program.

“A good amount of the success I had this season can be attributed to Coach Susan’s teaching this past year because much of it was a direct result of buying in to his way of doing things,” Robertson said. “I was always selfless in the way I approached each game, and did what I could do to be the best at my position in order to be accountable to my team every time I was called to perform.”

For Robertson and his teammates, Susan’s effectiveness can be attributed to his unwavering toughness in all situations.

“In choosing one memory I would say that the time when he suffered a wipeout one game on our sideline would be the winner,” Robertson said. “The play was heading towards our sideline directly at Coach Susan. Right before the ball carrier reached the sideline he was undercut by a defensive player who then undercut Coach Susan. After the play he calmly rose to his feet, looked around and smiled. From that day on I had a new outlook on the difference between pain and injury.”

It is clear that Susan has the Bison heading in a positive direction as they look towards building upon the improvements made throughout the 2011 season. With a strong defense and a rising offense led by running back Tyler Smith ’13, Susan expects the Orange and Blue to achieve new levels of success in 2012.

“There is one goal for our program: for every player to work to be the very best they can be. The human element comes into play and we cannot allow distractions to change our course,” Susan said. “There are no awards for second place. We are working to win championships. We will win the right way. Our players will be leaders on and off the field. They will be leaders beyond their time at this special place.”

Without a doubt, the Orange and Blue football team has a tremendous leader in place to guide it for many years to come.

Categories
Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis finishes season with win

By Chris McCree
Sports Editor

The men’s tennis team closed out its regular season with a 7-2 victory over Bloomsburg this past Wednesday, leaving the Bison with a 9-13 record heading into the Patriot League Tournament.

The Bison took two out of three doubles matches from the Huskies. Gregg Cohenca ’12 and Aidan Lynch ’14 came away with an 8-5 victory at No. 1 doubles, while Josh Katten ’13 and Evan Zimmer ’13 extended their doubles winning streak to 10 at No. 2 doubles. The Bison’s only doubles loss came at the No. 3 spot with the duo of Scott Bernstein ’14 and Kelly Morque ’13 losing 8-5.

In singles, the Orange and Blue took five of six matches, sweeping spots two through six. Katten continued his strong play in the second spot, taking down Mark Schroeder 7-5, 6-0. Octavio Canibe ’15 played in the tightest match of the day at No. 5 singles, taking down Tyler Pultro in three sets. After winning the first set 6-2, Canibe fell in the second set 6-7(1), but managed to take the tiebreaker 12-10. The Bison’s only singles loss of the day came at the No. 1 spot as Zimmer fell in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.

Currently riding a two-game winning streak, the Orange and Blue will look to carry their momentum into the Patriot League Tournament in Annapolis, Md. The Bison will take on Colgate in the first round starting today at 9 a.m. The last time the two teams met was back on April 6, when the Bison came away with a 4-3 victory at home.

Categories
Golf Men Sports

Men’s golf rallies on final day

By Alex Wagner
Assistant Sports Editor

The men’s golf team had a strong finish at the Navy Invitational last weekend, ending up in a three-way tie for eighth out of 20 schools after especially strong play in the final round on Sunday.

Despite a steady downpour and windy conditions in Annapolis, Md., J.J. Szmadzinski ’13 and Pete Scialabba ’15 led the Bison to a strong finish on the second day of competition. Szmadzinski shot a 75, tying for the fifth-lowest score among 109 players, which gave him a 152-stroke total for the weekend and a spot in the nine-way tie for 20th place. Scialabba finished with the same amount of strokes by following his 74 on Saturday with a 78 on Sunday.

“Weathering the elements played a huge factor especially on the second day at Navy, with high winds and steady rain resulting in much higher scoring than usual,” Szmadzinski said.

Schuyler Stitzer ’14, Will Bachman ’12 and Billy Wright ’14 rounded out the weekend for the Orange and Blue with overall scores of 155, 158 and 162 respectively.

This strong group effort moved the team from 14th place Sunday morning to a tie for eighth by the end of the day.  Only Penn, Navy and George Washington outshot the Bison on Sunday, which is a remarkable feat considering the unfavorable weather conditions.

Penn came away with the overall win, beating second-place George Washington by four strokes. Max Marsico of Penn took the individual title, shooting just one over par for the entire weekend.

“This weekend’s tournament at Navy was an important preparation for the Patriot League Championship at Bucknell this upcoming weekend. Most of the other Patriot League schools were there so it gave us a preliminary indication of how we stack up going into next week,” Szmadzinski said.

The Bison finished 10 strokes behind Navy and one stroke behind Colgate. They tied Lafayette and beat Lehigh by nine strokes.

The 2012 Patriot League Championship will be held at the Bucknell Golf Club tomorrow and Sunday.

 

Categories
Sports Track & Field Women

Women’s track blows away competition

By Katherine Harris
Writer

The women’s track and field team dominated in its last weekend of regular-season complete squad competition, winning the Bucknell Team Challenge on Saturday. The Bison beat out top teams including Duquesne, Penn State and Towson, earning a decisive 196.5 total points, over 70 more than second-place Duquesne.

On the track, it was the 800 meters where the Bison shone the brightest. Hana Casalnova ’14, Beth Braunegg ’14 and Caroline Tolli ’13 swept the top three spots on the day, with times moving them all into the school record books in the event. Casalnova’s 2:10.70 put her third in school history, while Braunegg and Tolli’s 2.11:74 and 2:12.02 put them now at fifth and sixth, respectively.

“This weekend’s meet fit really well into our schedule. We are only two weeks out from the Patriot League Championship, so it was really important to simulate that competition with a scored meet against some really solid teams,” Tolli said.

There were also many other victories for the Orange and Blue that day, including a win in the 4×800 meter relay with a time of 9:14.76. Katie Jessee ’15 ran a 10:16.86 and marked her first career victory in the 3,000 meters, while Taylor Funk ’12 showed she’s back in peak form with her 14.75 seconds winning the 100 meter hurdles. Also impressive was Kelly Grosskurth ’12 grabbing the victory in the 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 11:10.90.

The Bison also performed strongly on the field, with Autumn Schellenberger ’14 and Emily Ando ’14 taking first and second in the pole vault, both clearing 11’ 7.75’’. Abby Monaghan ’13 bested the field with the discus, breaking into fourth in the school record books with a throw of 151’ 9’’. In the javelin, Kat Folger ’12 broke her way into third in school history with a throw of 156’ 6’’.

“I am so proud of the girls on this team. We are really pulling together and the pieces are falling into place. I am very happy with our overall performances; we had a lot of great throws, jumps and times,” Monaghan said.

This weekend, the Bison will split up, with select members traveling to Philadelphia for the Penn Relays from Thursday through Saturday, with the rest of the team traveling to Bloomsburg’s Maroon & Gold Invitational on Friday. This will be the last chance for the Orange and Blue to prepare for the Patriot League Championships the following weekend.

Categories
Men Sports Track & Field

Men’s track records 12 individual wins

By Colin Fields

Staff Writer

The men’s track team, the defending Indoor and Outdoor Patriot League champion, racked up 12 individual victories at the Bucknell Team Challenge at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium last weekend. The Bison compiled 292.5 points, just under the rest of the field combined, in one of their best performances of the year.

The Orange and Blue throwers have been stellar all year long and Saturday was no different. Luke Webster ’13 came just six inches short of the school discus record that has stood for nearly 35 years with a toss of 168’ 6’’. Webster’s toss put him in both second in the meet and second in the school record books. Tom Barr ’12 also performed well in the discus; the shot put record holder put up a toss of 162’ 3’’, breaking the 160-foot mark for the first time in his career in the discus. Barr also posted a career best in the hammer throw, with a toss of 182’ 11’’. He was bested by teammate Leonard Joseph ’13 whose toss of 204’ 5’’ moved him to third place in Bison history.

“I would say that the start our team has had is encouraging because most of our athletes, if not all, are not peaking yet, but they are performing extremely well. Having two consecutive home meets allows us to capitalize on a familiar environment as well as a larger audience than we typically have,” Joseph said.

Jason Brown ’13, Nathaniel Witter ’14 and Alex Prieto ’14 picked up wins in the high jump, pole vault and the long jump. Andrew Powell ’12 and Kevin Keller ’15 also picked up second-place finishes for the Bison.

Christian Lupica ’15 took first in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.7 seconds and teammates Robert Arent ’12, Dan Mularz ’12 and Powell helped fill four of the top five spots in the event.

“Being able to have our two meets at home is definitely a nice perk. We train on the track every day so we are familiar with running on it, and not having to worry about travel time and living out of a hotel makes it a lot easier to have a flexible routine and eat/sleep/warm-up in a way that is best for you,” Lupica said.

Several Bison will compete this weekend in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, while the test of the team will travel today to Bloomsburg for the Maroon & Gold Invitational. These are the last events for the Bison until the Patriot League Outdoor Championships on May 4-5 in Worcester, Mass.

Categories
Softball Sports Women

Softball takes first PL series

By Cooper Mead
Writer

Laura Sandford ’13 hit a walk-off single to give the softball team its first Patriot League win of the season against Holy Cross last Friday. The win broke a 13-game losing streak for the Orange and Blue. The Bison took three of four games against the Crusaders over the weekend series to keep their playoff hopes alive.

After the Bison lost the series opener 6-1, the second game initially seemed to be heading the same way. Holy Cross jumped ahead from the beginning, scoring two runs in the top of the first, and took a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning.

Alex Wells ’15 got things going for the Bison with a lead-off single up the middle. She was replaced on the bases by pinch runner Kasey Segiel ’14 who eventually scored on a Mary Horton ’13 triple. Meredith Dickson ’12 then hit Horton in with a single up the middle to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

In the ninth inning, Cydnee Sanders ’15 doubled to right-center field and the Crusaders intentionally walked Horton, who was two-for-three with two runs and an RBI on the day. Dickson loaded the bases with a bouncing single, which brought up Sandford, whose single gave the Bison a 4-3 win. Sandford completed the game two-for-five with two RBIs.

The victory, in addition to ending the consecutive games lost streak, ended a 14-game conference losing streak that began last season.

“Our defense was solid, pitching was great and our hitting was on point,” Courtney Conover ’14 said. “These games definitely boosted the team morale going into next weekend.”

The Bison win was aided by Bridget Gates who began pitching in the third inning and completed 6.1 innings allowing only one hit and no runs. She also struck out three batters and did not allow a walk. 

On Saturday, the Bison defeated the Crusaders 4-2 and 3-2 and brought their record to 9-32 overall and 3-13 in the Patriot League. In the first game, the Bison pulled ahead in the first inning, but the Crusaders came storming back in the top of the second with a two-run home run from Nicole Ortiz. Later in the second inning, Nikki Silva ’15 scored an unearned run for the Bison. Tori Robinson ’15 then hit a triple in the fourth inning and later scored.

In the final game of the series, Mallory Lyons ’14 hit a line drive down the left-field line with Horton on third in the eighth inning, giving the Bison another walk-off win.

Colie Escobar ’15 had a phenomenal series for the Bison, going four-for-six (.667) and scoring two runs in three games. Sandford also hit eight-for-15 (.533) with one run and two RBIs. Dickson, who was recognized for Senior Day, hit .400 in her final weekend at home.

“Our team had a wonderful weekend. It was my final time playing on our field. We had two exciting extra-inning wins in which multiple players contributed. Our defense was phenomenal, making some of the ‘special’ plays. Our YOLO attitude finally showed through,” Dickson said. 

The victories gave the Bison three consecutive wins for the first time this season. The team hopes to bring its momentum to Easton, Pa. as it takes on the Lafayette Leopards on in a four-game series this weekend.

Categories
Baseball Men Sports

Baseball suffers sweep to Army

By Andrew Arnao
Writer

The baseball team had a rough weekend after getting swept at Army, but managed to end the week on a positive note after winning game two of a home doubleheader against St. Bonaventure. Bison pitcher Bryson Hough ’15 was also named Patriot League Rookie of the Week.

“The Army series was a highly competitive one,” head coach Gene Depew said. “There was outstanding pitching on both sides. Army was successful because they played very solid defense throughout and we did not.”

The first two games against Army on Saturday were both pitching duels, with the Bison being defeated by final scores of 1-0 and 2-1. All of Army’s runs were unearned, spoiling dominant pitching efforts from both Dan Weigel ’14 and Hough. Weigel threw a complete game while allowing only four hits, while Hough pitched 7.1 innings and surrendered seven hits. The Bison offense struggled to score runs, with the only Bison lead coming from a first-inning RBI single by second baseman Travis Clark ’13 in game two.

“The series against Army this past weekend was really disappointing,” left fielder Matt Busch ’13 said. “Although our pitching was very good, our offense did not show up in any of the games. It’s really hard to lose three one-run games in a weekend, especially with our pitching staff doing so well.”

Game three saw the Bison fall victim to a no-hitter at the hands of Army pitcher Logan Lee, who carried a perfect game into the last inning until issuing a lead-off walk to center fielder Bob Donato ’12. The Black Knights won by a final score of 8-0.

Game four was perhaps the most painful for the Bison, as they fell by a final score of 2-1 after 15 innings, tied for the second-longest game in program history. Despite loading the bases in the 12th, 13th and 15th innings, the Orange and the Blue were unable to pull ahead. The winning run hit off Russell Seidell ’12 was unearned, ruining fantastic pitching efforts by Ryan Ebner ’12 and Alex Cillo ’12, who went a combined 13 innings while giving up only one run.

“Our pitching staff did a remarkable job shutting down the Army offense and giving our team the chance to win every game,” first baseman Luke Lombardi ’14 said. “A few timely hits separated us from what could have easily been a 3-1 weekend.”

The Bison endured another excruciating loss as they fell to St. Bonaventure 6-5 on Tuesday, with the Bonnies scoring the winning run in the top of the seventh inning. After falling behind 4-0, the Bison managed to climb back and tie the score 5-5, but were unable tack on any more runs.

The Bison rebounded nicely in game two, with six pitchers combining to throw a two-hit shutout in an eventual 5-0 victory. The game was highlighted by an unassisted triple play by shortstop Greg Wasikowski ’15 in the fourth inning. Wasikowski also led the Bison offense in RBIs, with two.

The Bison will face Lafayette in a four-game series over the last weekend of the regular season. They need two wins to clinch a spot in the Patriot League Tournament for the fifth straight year.

“We need to finish the last week of our regular season by getting back to making plays defensively and by getting some offensive momentum going,” Depew said. “As usual the postseason teams will be decided this last weekend of the season, and we are in control of our own destiny by having to beat Lafayette to make the four-team tournament.”