Litts, Wible Power Bucknell Softball to Doubleheader Sweep of Holy Cross, 8-0 and 7-5

Wible and Litts Combine to go 7-for-11 with 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 Runs in Doubleheader

Lauren Wible broke the Bucknell record for career runs batted in with four Sunday. She now has 94 in her career.

April 23, 2006

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Lauren Wible (Dover, Pa./Dover) went 3-for-4 with three walks, one home run, four runs batted in and three runs scored and Lauren Litts (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg) put together a 4-for-7 day with one home run, four runs batted in and three runs scored to help the Bucknell softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Holy Cross Sunday afternoon at West Fields. The Bison won the first game 8-0 in six innings and followed that with a 7-5 victory in the nightcap.

Wible, who broke the Bucknell career RBI record that had stood since 1994 by collecting the 94th of her career in the second game, got things started with a one-out home run that just cleared the right-field fence in the bottom of the first inning of game one that staked Bucknell to a 2-0 lead. It was her third home run of the season and 17th of her career.

Litts picked up her first RBI of the day in the third inning when she singled to left to score Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) from second. Kris Devore (Washington, Pa./Trinity), who was 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the game, doubled home Litts to give the Bison a 4-0 lead.

After a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, it looked like Holy Cross (7-28, 3-11 PL) starter Marsha Babcock (4-9) was settling down. She overcame the leadoff hitter reaching on an error in the fifth to get the next two batters out, but Wible, Litts and Devore had successive hits that resulted in three unearned runs. Wible had an RBI single, while Devore drove home two more with another double to left field.

Michelle Danish (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff home run over the centerfield fence. It was her first round tripper of the season.

Wible, Litts and Devore each collected two hits in game one as they were a combined 6-for-9 with seven RBI and four runs scored in the contest. Seven of the nine Bison starters collected at least one hit as they totaled 10 as a team.

Christie Wiest (3-11) (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) picked up her second shutout of the season as she pitched her eighth complete game. She allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out four. She allowed three hits in the first two innings, but just one after that.

Holy Cross jumped out on top in the second game with one run in the third inning on an RBI-single by Sheena Stangler. Three of the Crusaders first four hitters in the inning reached on singles.

Litts quickly answered and put Bucknell back on top to stay with a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning. It was her seventh of the season, placing her one shy of tying Wible's single-season Bucknell record.

The Bison added two more runs in the fourth on a Damara Farkas (Louisville, Ohio/Louisville) double and a single by Wible that plated her 94th career RBI.

A one-out, three-run home run by Kelly O'Neil in the fifth brought Holy Cross back to within one run, but Bucknell was able to tack on single runs in the fifth and sixth frames. Farkas' single in the fifth scored pinch-runner Monica Grinage (Braddock, Pa./Shady Side Academy), while Kristin Frick (West Chester, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) picked up an RBI on what would have been a ground out to short, but Natalie Cruz mishandled the grounder, allowing Frick to reach while picking up her third RBI this season.

Meaghan Haley (3-4) (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley) scattered nine hits over five innings and allowed four runs, one walk and struck out three. After giving up O'Neil's home run, Haley battled back and retired the final two hitters in the inning. Tanya Roth (Mountain Lakes, N.J./Mountain Lakes) replaced her to start the sixth and registered her first career save by yielding just one runs and two hits over the final two innings. She struck out three and retired the side in order in the seventh inning.

Lindsey MacNeil (2-11) started for Holy Cross and lasted 3.0 innings while allowing five hits, five runs, five earned runs and three walks. Sheena Stangler, who was one of three Crusaders with two hits in the game, pitched the final three innings and allowed three hits and two runs. All seven runs the two hurlers allowed were earned despite four errors by the Crusaders defense in the contest.

Bucknell was outhit 11-8 in the second game. Litts, who was 2-for-4, and Farkas, who was 2-for-3, led the way for the Bison. Wible was 1-for-1, but reached base in all four plate appearances due to three walks.

With the two victories Sunday, Bucknell stretched its winning streak against Holy Cross to 10 games. The victory in game one was the 100th of Bucknell head coach Heather Rakosik's career.

The Bison and Crusaders square off in another doubleheader Monday afternoon at West Fields at 1:30 p.m. The two games were originally slated for Saturday, but were postponed due to heavy rains yesterday.

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