WORCESTER, Mass. — The Holy Cross baseball team cruised to a 15-4 victory in seven innings against Bucknell in Patriot League action, on Sunday, March 31 at Fitton Field, earning a weekend sweep over the Bison. 

STATS LEADERS:
Holy Cross (12-15, 4-3 Patriot League)
LaFleur (pinch-hit grand slam)
King (2-for-3, two RBI, run scored)
Cooney (2-for-3, three RBI, two runs scored)
Toomey (home run, two RBI)
Macchiarola (W, 5.0 IP, one earned run, four hits, seven strikeouts)
Harnisch (1.1 IP, no runs, no hits, one walk)

Bucknell (10-17, 3-8 Patriot League)
Keys (2-for-3, home run, two RBI)
Adamo (2-for-4, RBI)

THE DECISION:
W: Macchiarola (2-3)
L: O'Malley (2-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Aided by a Holy Cross error, a base hit by the Bison scored the first run of the game for a 1-0 advantage in the second inning. 
• Holy Cross loaded up the bases in the bottom of the second, scraping across one run on a single by junior left fielder Connor Cooney through the left side and evening the score at 1-1. 
• Third baseman Sean Keys launched a homer to right field in the top of the third to put the Bison back ahead by a run. 
• In the bottom of the third, sophomore right fielder Jack Toomey responded with a solo home run to center field to even the score at 2-2. Holy Cross loaded up the bases after two walks and a hit batter, and another hit batter put Holy Cross ahead, 3-2. Freshman John LaFleur then stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter, sending a grand slam to center to make it a 7-2 game. 
• Left fielder Jacob Corson reached on an error in the fifth and later came around to score to bring the Bison within 7-3. 
• The floodgates opened in the bottom of the fifth as Holy Cross scored eight runs on just three hits — with four hit batters and a pair of walks in the frame — to take a 15-3 advantage. 
• Bucknell got a run back on an RBI groundout in the top of the sixth. Freshman relief pitcher Nick Harnisch threw 1.1 no-hit innings to preserve the 11-run advantage and run-rule victory for Holy Cross. 

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE: 

• Holy Cross won four out of five games to take the 2024 season series against Bucknell. 
• The Crusaders are now 4-0 at home.
• Bucknell hit Holy Cross batters seven times in Sunday's game — tied for the most HBPs by a Patriot League team this season — with junior third baseman Brendan Jones getting hit three times.
• Toomey has homered in three consecutive contests. 

DUE UP: 

• Holy Cross hits the road for a midweek matchup against Merrimack on Tuesday, April 2. 
• First pitch is set for 6 p.m. in North Andover, Mass. 

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
Be sure to follow the Holy Cross baseball team — and all things Crusader Athletics — on social media!
Twitter - @HCrossBaseball | @goholycross
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