Bucknell Baseball Ties Eastern Kentucky, 7-7 - BUCKNELL OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

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Senior Mathew Wilson had a career-high 10 strikeouts against the Colonels on Saturday.

Bucknell Baseball Ties Eastern Kentucky, 7-7

Game Called Because of Darkness after 14 Innings

Feb. 23, 2008

Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. - Senior Mathew Wilson (Toronto, Ontario/Northern S.S.) logged a career-high 10 strikeouts in a marathon game between Bucknell and Eastern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon that was eventually ruled a 7-7 tie after 14 innings due to darkness. The Bison are now 0-1-1 on the season, while the Colonels open up with a record of 0-0-1.

Eastern Kentucky began the contest with a run in the bottom of the first. Tyler Barnett led off with single, moved up two bases on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dylan McMaine.

In the top of the fourth, senior Jason Buurrsma (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside School) dropped a one-out single into centerfield and classmate Mark Angelo (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) drove him in with an RBI double.

The Bison then managed two more runs in the fifth to chase pre-season All-American Christian Friedrich from the game. Senior Ed Rubbo (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) walked and scored on a single by classmate Shawn Hirsch (Morristown, N.J./Morristown). Hirsch later crossed the plate on a successful double steal.

Back-to-back hits by the Colonels in the sixth cut Bucknell's lead to 3-2. With two out, McMaine doubled to center and came home on an RBI single by Joe Oliver.

Then in the top of the seventh, the Bison took the run back as Rubbo scored on a passed ball with two out after leading off the inning with a single.

Freshman Trey Frahler (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) relieved Wilson in the top of the eighth and was unable to hold off Eastern Kentucky, surrendering two runs on two hits and giving up two walks before junior Jimmy Murphy (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) entered with one down in the inning. Murphy got Bucknell out of the jam by striking out the first two batters he faced, leaving the bases loaded with Colonels.

In the top of the 11th, the Bison capitalized on a pitching change as sophomore Andrew Brouse (Kreamer, Pa./Midd-West) was first to face McKenzie Willoughby and drove a double to right center. Senior Austin Turban (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) then sacrificed him over to third and Brouse scored on an error on the next play.

However, Eastern Kentucky extended the game by scoring a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame. Barnett began the inning with a single and came home on a two-out single by McMaine.

Bucknell later scored two in the top of the 13th as Brouse began the rally with a one-out triple to right center and crossed the plate on an RBI single by Turban. Hirsch brought in Turban with a sacrifice fly for the second run.

The Colonels then opened their half of the inning with three straight hits, capped off by a Anthony Ottrando's two-run single that brought home Barnett and Matt Davis to tie the score at seven. But that would be all, as Murphy responded by inducing three straight groundouts, sending the contest to the top of the 14th.

Only one more runner reached base before the game was called as Angelo recorded a two-out single for the Bison in the top of the 14th.

Wilson went seven innings for Bucknell and allowed two runs, just one earned, on seven hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts. Murphy let up only three runs on eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts over 6.2 innings of relief.

For Eastern Kentucky, Friedrich tossed five innings and gave up three runs on four hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts. Eric Hash followed and pitched five innings as well, surrendering only one unearned run on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Willoughby allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits with two walks and thee strikeouts in four innings of work.

Angelo and Brouse led the Bison at the plate as Angelo went 3-for-6 with an RBI and Brouse batted 3-for-7 and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, while also scoring two runs. Hirsch had two of Bucknell's four RBI and hit 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Barnett finished with a team-best four hits for the Colonels as he went 4-for-7 with three runs scored. Ottrando registered two of the squad's six RBI and was 2-for-5 at the plate.

The Bison will close out their weekend at the Early Bird Tournament with a single game against Eastern Kentucky, tomorrow, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m.