WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross baseball team began their home slate of games on Friday at Fitton Field falling twice to Patriot League foe Bucknell 6-5 in game one and 20-8 during game two.
The loss is the fourth straight for the Crusaders (11-15, 3-3PL) while the Bison (11-13, 3-3 PL) have won three consecutive games.
Sophomore center fielder
Gianni Royer was a combined 4-for-7 (.571) in both contests belting his second homer of the season with a double, four RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.
GAME ONE: BUCKNELL 6, HOLY CROSS 5 (7 INN.)
STARTING ON THE MOUND:
- Tyler O'Neill: (W, 2-3), 6.2 innings pitched, six hits allowed, five earned runs, four walks, four strikeouts.
- Junior Danny Macchiarola: (L, 4-3), 6.1 innings pitched, seven hits allowed, six earned runs, two walks, six strikeouts.
OUT OF THE BULLPEN:
- Jonathan Adelmann: (S, 3), 0.1 innings pitched
STEPPING TO THE PLATE:
- Ryan Facinelli: 2-for-3, two doubles, RBI, run scored, walk.
- Billy Fluharty: 1-for-3, RBI, run scored, walk, stolen base.
- Gianni Royer: 2-for-3, home run, two RBI, stolen base.
- Senior Chris Baillargeon: 2-for-4, home run, two RBI, two runs scored.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Baillargeon demolished his first home of the year, a two-run shot over everything in left center for the 2-0 lead. A sacrifice fly in foul territory tacked on another run for Holy Cross in the first to lead 3-0.
- Royer made a great running grab in center to end the top of the third. In the bottom half of the inning, Royer smacked a two-run homer over everything in left field to expand the lead to 5-0.
- A passed ball recorded a run for Bucknell in the fourth to trail 5-1.
- Five straight hits in the seventh for Bucknell put them down one, 5-4. A fielder's choice coupled with an RBI double gave them the win.
GAME TWO: BUCKNELL 20, HOLY CROSS 8
STARTING ON THE MOUND:
- Senior Sean Scanlon: (L, 0-3), 2.0 innings pitched, four hits allowed, six earned runs, five walks, two strikeouts.
- Everett Garber: (ND, 0-2), 4.0 innings pitched, four hits allowed, five runs – four earned, five walks, two strikeouts.
OUT OF THE BULLPEN:
- Samuel Janik: (W, 1-0), 2.2 innings pitched, three hits allowed, earned run, walk, two strikeouts.
- Senior Luke LeMond: 2.0 innings pitched, three hits allowed, earned run, two walks, two strikeouts.
STEPPING TO THE PLATE:
- Billy Kender: 3-for-6, double, two RBI, two runs scored, walk.
- Chris Morabito: 2-for-5, two triples, five RBI, three runs scored, walk.
- Billy Fluharty: 1-for-3, double, three RBI, four runs scored, two walks.
- Sean Scanlon: 2-for-3, double, two RBI, two runs scored, two walks.
- Gianni Royer: 2-for-4, double, two RBI.
- Sophomore John LaFleur: 2-for-4, RBI, run scored, walk, stolen base.
- Senior Brendan Jones: 2-for-4, double, RBI, two runs scored, walk.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Scanlon stranded the bases loaded inducing a groundout to keep the game scoreless in the top half of the first.
- Three runs in the second frame for the Bison pushed them ahead 3-0.
- A four run third frame expanded their edge to 7-0.
- Scanlon opened the scoring for the Crusaders in the fifth slashing a double down the left field line to score two runs. A fielder's choice, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI single from LaFleur trimmed the deficit to 7-5.
- A pair of tallies in the sixth and a line run in the seventh doubled the margin to 10-5.
- Royer doubled into the gap during the seventh inning putting the Crusaders behind 10-6.
- Five runs in the eighth and ninth put the contest out of reach.
DUE UP:
- Holy Cross continues their nine game homestand on Saturday, March 29 against league foe Navy (15-11, 7-2 PL)
- First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
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