LEWISBURG, Pa. – Back-to-back Patriot League Player of the Year, senior center fielder
CJ Egrie reached base in all six plate appearances as the No. 4 seed Holy Cross baseball team dismantled No. 2 and league regular-season co-champion Bucknell 11-2 Monday afternoon at Depew Field at Marren Park to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Patriot League Championship Series.
The win moves the Crusaders to 24-27 overall and puts them one victory away from their second straight and third overall Patriot League Tournament Championship and the leagues automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Holy Cross has won eight of its last 11 games and will look to become the first No. 4 seed to win the conference tournament since Bucknell in 2010. The Bison fall to 26-23 overall and need to win two elimination games. Since winning the title in 2014, Bucknell is 1-7 (.125) in Patriot League championship series games.
Egrie, the fourth two-time Patriot League Player of the Year in conference history, led off the game with a first pitch home run in a 4-for-4, double, home run, two RBI, three runs scored, two walks and two stolen base effort. He was a triple shy of the cycle.
Classmate and fellow team captain, All-League first team selection right-handed pitcher
Jaden Wywoda hurled his NCAA best fifth complete game of the season falling a few outs shy of a shutout effort. He improved to 6-4 on the year scattering four hits, two runs, one walk while striking out seven on 122 pitches. Wywoda set down nine straight batters two separate times in the game.
Junior first baseman
Braden Connors finished the contest going 2-for-4 with a mammoth home run off the scoreboard in right center field in the top of the sixth. He also added an RBI single in the seventh part of a five run inning. Sophomore right fielder
Nick Andersen had a multi-hit showing going 2-for-5.
STARTING ON THE MOUND:
- Senior Jaden Wywoda: (W, 6-4), complete game, four hits allowed, two earned runs, one walk, seven strikeouts, 122 pitches
- Jake Schultz (L, 3-1), 6.1 innings pitched, six hits allowed, six earned runs, three walks, four strikeouts, 95 pitches
OUT OF THE BULLPEN:
- Mikey Myro: 1.0 innings pitched, one hit allowed, two earned runs, two walks, one strikeout, 29 pitches
STEPPING TO THE PLATE:
- Egire: 4-for-4, double, home run, two RBI, three runs scored, two walk, two stolen bases
- Connors: 2-for-4, home run, three RBI, two runs scored, walk
- Andersen: 2-for-5, run scored
- Freshman Owen Stelzer: 1-for-4, double, run scored, walk
- Junior Gianni Royer: 1-for-4, double, RBI, two runs scored
- Michael Trommer: 2-for-4, run scored
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Egrie demolished the first pitch of the game over the left field fence for a home run as the Crusaders led 1-0.
- In the bottom of the fourth, Bucknell recorded their first hit and had a pair of runners on, but were stranded by Wywoda.
- The Crusaders put runners on first and second with one out in the fifth and advanced to second and third with two down, but couldn't cross the plate.
- Connors hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth increasing the Crusader lead to 3-0.
- Holy Cross put runners on second and third in the seventh following Egrie's steal of second. Stelzer, who led off the frame with a double scored on junior second baseman Alex Sandell's sacrifice fly upping the margin to 4-0. Junior left fielder John LaFleur reached via fielder's choice plating Egrie increasing the lead to 5-0. Connors and junior third baseman Ryan Grundy smacked RBI singles and junior catcher Colin Brown had a sacrifice bunt completing the five run seventh making it 8-0.
- Two runs in the eighth, one off a Royer RBI double down the left field line expanded the lead to 10-0.
- Egrie's fourth hit in the ninth, an RBI single grew the edge to 11-0.
POSTGAME THOUGHTS:
DUE UP:
- Holy Cross hits the field for game two of the series on Tuesday, May 19.
- The Crusaders will send sophomore right-handed pitcher Jake Lenahan (3-5, 4.05 ERA) to the mound against the Bisons' Brady Hoar (7-3, 4.61 ERA) for a 2 p.m. first pitch.
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