Game 1     Game 2

LEWISBURG, PA.  (4/18/2010) – Alana Dyson (Grovetown, Ga.) drove in a season-best three runs and Stephanie Hartquist (Homer, N.Y.) extended her hitting streak as Colgate snapped a six-game winless skid with an 8-5 victory over Bucknell in the first game of a Patriot League softball doubleheader, Sunday afternoon.  The Bison rallied to take the second game 9-5 in extra innings.

The Raiders posted 14 hits in the opener with eight of nine batters collecting at least one hit.  Both Dyson and Hartquist tallied three in the victory, while Melissa Babb-Renta (Glenview, Ill.) and Nicole Siedhof (Canton, Pa.) each delivered a pair of hits.

Colgate, now 21-15 overall, 4-8 in league action, trailed 1-0 heading to its half of the inning.  The Raiders plated three runs to take the lead for good.  Dyson's single up the middle scored Babb-Renta from second with the opening run.  A few batters later, Siedhof delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle to score Jennifer Ortega (Aberdeen, N.J.) and Hartquist.

After Bucknell, now 20-12 overall, 8-4 in league play, closed to within 3-2, Colgate added a pair of runs in the second on run-scoring singles by Dyson and Hartquist.  The sophomore's single stretched her hitting streak to 22 consecutive games.

Leading 6-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Colgate added two insurance runs.  Dyson sent a one-out triple to center to score Babb-Renta from first, while Hartquist followed with a single to score Dyson.

Freshman Courtney O'Connell (Palm Harbor, Fla.) went the distance to improve to 5-3.  She allowed seven hits and three earned runs, while fanning two.

Bucknell tied the second game in the top of the seventh on a one-out single by Jessie Snyder. The Raiders were set down one-two-three in the bottom of the frame.

The Bison took advantage of one Colgate error in the eighth and combined that with four hits, including a two-run homer by Jane Messersmith in their final at bat.  The Raiders had something cooking in the bottom of the eighth with runners on first and second with one out, but couldn't push one across the plate.

With the game knotted at 4-4, Colgate went ahead with one run in the sixth.  Babb-Renta singled home Brittany Hanrahan (Frankfort, Ill.) from second.  The Raiders had the bases loaded when the frame came to an end on a line out.

Dyson led the 11-hit attack with a three for five performance, while Babb-Renta, Hartquist and Siedhof each posted a pair of hits.  One of Siedhof's hits was a two-run double up the middle in the third inning to tie the game at 4-4.

O'Connell went the distance in the second game and dropped to 5-4 on the season.  The freshman surrendered 18 hits and eight earned runs.

Colgate returns to action Wednesday afternoon as it hosts in-state rival Binghamton.  The doubleheader at Eaton Street Field starts at 3:30 p.m.