Bucknell Baseball Swept in Season-Opening Doubleheader by VMI, 9-4 & 6-5 - BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Bucknell Baseball Swept in Season-Opening Doubleheader by VMI, 9-4 & 6-5

Lamore Homers, Allen Extends Hitting Streak to 18 Games

Matt Lamore hit his first career home run Saturday vs. VMI.

Feb. 20, 2010

Game 1: VMI 9, Bucknell 4

Game 2: VMI 6, Bucknell 5

PRINCE GEORGE, Va. - B.J. LaRosa (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal) registered a pair of two-hit contests and Ben Allen (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) extended his hitting streak to 18 games, but Bucknell was swept in a doubleheader by VMI Saturday at Prince George High School. The Bison lost game one 9-4 despite a pair of first-inning runs, and they dropped game two 6-5 after jumping out to an early 4-1 advantage.

LaRosa was 4-for-7 on the day with an RBI, while Matt Lamore (Mountaintop, Pa./Crestwood) hit his first career home run in game one. Allen, who posted three hits on the day, ended last year on a 16-game hitting streak and picked up where he left off with a single and a double in game one and another single in game two. Doug Shribman (Marblehead, Mass./Belmont Hill) entered Saturday's games on an 18-game hitting streak of his own, but he went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in the first game. He then started a new streak with a 2-for-3 performance with three RBIs in the nightcap.

The Bison used five pitchers in the two games with Trey Frahler (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) and Dylan Seeley (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) getting the starts. VMI touched both starters for six runs. The only Bucknell hurler to not allow a run was senior right-hander Andrew Clarke (Montgomery, Texas/Montgomery), who fired three innings of one-hit relief in game two. Overall, the Bison bullpen yielded just three runs in 5.0 innings.

Cory Spangenberg, who came a triple shy of the cycle in game one, paced the VMI (2-0) offense with five hits and four RBIs in the two games. Also, the Keydet bullpen was strong, yielding just three earned runs in 10.1 innings of work over the doubleheader.

The Bison, who have not won a season opener since 2001, started off game one strong with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Ben Yoder (Belleville, Pa./Indian Valley) took advantage of an error by the right fielder to score on a single by Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West), who later scored on a LaRosa single.

The lead was short-lived as Keeton knotted the score in the bottom of the second with a two-run home run to center off Frahler. It was the first of two home runs for Keeton. The Keydets connected on two more home runs in the third, including a two-run shot by Spangenberg. They scored three runs in the frame, all with none out, before Frahler settled down and retired the side in order.

VMI scored at least one run in each of its final five plate appearances.

The Bison did cut into the Keydets' lead when Lamore homered to left with two outs in the sixth. It was the first hit of Lamore's career as he was 0-for-6 last year and struck out in each of his first two plate appearances Saturday.

Frahler was lifted prior to the fifth inning having given up eight hits and six runs in 4.0 innings of work. He did strike out seven and did not walk a batter, but earned the loss.

There were a total of five home runs and 17 strikeouts in the first game as starter Adam Lopez (6) and reliever Jeremy Brown (4) combined for 10 K's for VMI.

Bucknell (0-2) again had the bats going early in game two as it scored one run in the first inning and three more in the second. The Bison's first run came on a bases-loaded wild pitch, allowing Yoder to scamper home. A run-scoring fielder's choice by Brouse and a two-run double by Shribman staked Bucknell to a 4-1 lead in the second.

Three straight two-out singles off Seeley by VMI in the first knotted the score at 1-1, and a solo home run by Rob Dickinson in the second made it 4-2.

The Bucknell lead stood up until three straight one-out singles in the fourth loaded the bases for the Keydets. Sam Roberts followed with a two-run single and then Spangenberg hit a two-run double to break the deadlock and make it 6-4 VMI.

Seeley and Clarke settled down after that, retiring 13 of the next 15 VMI batters. However, the Bison offense was able to generate only one more run, that on a two-out double by Shribman in the sixth.

Brouse and Shribman did draw back-to-back walks to open the ninth. They moved to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by LaRosa, putting the go-ahead run at second with one out. VMI's Michael Devine proceeded to strike out Drew Constable (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) and Scott Reed (Reston, Va./South Lakes) to end the game.

Despite it being the first date of competition for the 2010 season, the Bison committed just one error in the doubleheader.

Bucknell and VMI will wrap up their three-game weekend series Sunday with a single contest at 1 p.m.