Bucknell Sweeps Raiders To Win PL Tournament Title

Nicole Siedhof was one of three Colgate all-tournament selections

Game 1 Game 2 Photo Gallery

WEST POINT, N.Y. (5/15/2010) – Bucknell scored three runs in the top of the sixth en route to posting a come from behind 6-4 victory over Colgate in the Patriot League Tournament finale, Saturday afternoon to claim the NCAA automatic bid at the Army Softball Complex. The Bison forced a seventh game as they downed the Raiders 4-3 in nine innings in the opener.

After spotting Bucknell two runs in the top of the first, Colgate got on the board in the bottom of the frame as Alana Dyson (Grovetown, Ga.) sent a one-out single to center. Moved over to second on a ground out, the freshman raced in from second on a single by Jennifer Ortega (Aberdeen, N.J.). Nicole Siedhof (Canton, Pa.) followed with a double to right, however Ortega was out at the plate on a perfect relay from the outfield.

Colgate, which saw its season end at 27-23, grabbed the lead with a three-run third inning. Stephanie Hartquist (Homer, N.Y.) opened with a single to right field, which triggered a pitching change. Ortega greeted reliever Alex MacLean with a single to center. Siedhof followed by driving Hartquist home from second with a run-scoring single to right center. Emmie Dolfi (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) provided Colgate's third run with a sacrifice fly to right. After a single by Natalie Siedhof (Canton, Pa.), the Raiders got their third run of the inning as Nicole Siedhof scored on an error by the first baseman. Bucknell pulled within one run with a score in the top of the fourth.

O'Connell, who was named to the all-tournament team, scattered 10 hits over seven innings and finished the season 10-8 overall. Ortega and Nicole Siedhof also joined the freshman on the all-tournament team.

Down 3-1 in the opener heading into the bottom of the sixth, Colgate rallied for two runs. Nicole Siedhof opened with a single to right. With one out, Natalie Siedhof was hit by a pitch to give the Raiders first and second with one out. O'Connell reached first on a fielder's choice as Bucknell elected to throw to third to erase Nicole Siedhof. However, the third baseman forgot to step on third for the force play, which loaded the bases. Amada Zranchev (Budd Lake, N.J.) drove in the first run with a groundout to second. Bucknell tried to cut down the runner at third and threw it away allowing Natalie Siedhof to score all the way from second to tie the game.

The Bison won the opener on a one-out solo homer by Sherry Finkel in the top of the ninth. The senior went a perfect five for five in the first game. MacLean went the distance on the eight-hitter to improve to 12-5. O'Connell, who allowed 14 hits and four earned runs, fell to 10-7.

After stranding two in the first inning, the Bison threatened in the second. Bucknell pieced together three singles to load the bases, however O'Connell got out of her second consecutive jam by inducing a fly out to left to end the threat of a big inning.

The Bison opened scoring with a two-run third inning. Back-to-back run scoring singles by Elise Colmenero and Finkel gave Bucknell a 2-0 advantage. The Bison once again threatened to add to its lead in the fourth inning by once again loading the bases. O'Connell closed the inning by fanning Colmenero to keep Colgate within shouting distance.

The Raiders cut the deficit in half with one run in the bottom of the fifth. O'Connell led off the frame with a single to center. After advancing to second on a ground out, the freshman moved to third on a single by Melissa Babb-Renta (Glenview, Ill.). With runners on first and third, the Raiders crossed the plate for the first time as Dyson singled to left to drive in O'Connell. With two outs, Ortega put a charge into the ball and sent it to deep left field, but it died at the warning track in the glove of Jane Messersmith.

Print Friendly Version