Last week, Bucknell Softball traveled to Conway, South Carolina where they competed in the Kickin’ Chicken Classic. The Bison played five games while there: two against George Washington, and one against Syracuse, Campbell and Coastal Carolina. Overall, Bucknell finished the weekend with two wins and three losses.
On Friday, Bucknell played two games. The Bison were victorious in their first game against George Washington 7-0, but fell to Syracuse 3-0.
George Washington came out swinging, earning a leadoff double. However, Bucknell pitcher Madison Roukey ’25 then induced three straight outs. Roukey kept her momentum up all game and earned a shutout.
In the second inning, Bucknell tallied two runs. Savannah Jones ’25 singled and two Revolutionaries’ errors allowed Annabella Hawkins ’24 and Brooke Popella ’27 to load the bases. MaKenzie Hilling ’25 then hit a sacrifice fly to score Jones. Unfortunately, Popella was thrown out as she tried to reach third, but Noelle Gardon ’24 saved the inning with a double to score Hawkins.
Another successful inning for the Bison was the fifth. Hilling walked and Ava Aguilar ’25 singled, which set the stage for Molly Lawson ’27 to slam a double into the left field gap. Lawson’s hit increased Bucknell’s lead to 4-0.
The Revolutionaries threatened the Bison throughout the game with base-runners, however, they were unsuccessful in scoring.
In the sixth and seventh innings, the Bison added three more insurance runs, securing the victory 7-0.
During the second game on Friday, Bucknell faced off against Syracuse. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful for Bucknell.
Pitching for the Bison this game was Hunter Vestal ’24. At first, she allowed a single and threw a wild pitch, but she was then able to settle down and earned three straight outs.
Syracuse added one run in the third inning, one in the fourth and one in the fifth. These were the only runs scored for both teams throughout the game.
Against Syracuse, Bucknell used three pinch hitters in the final stanza. Ultimately, Bucknell ended up losing 3-0.
On Saturday, Bucknell beat Campbell 4-3 and fell to Coastal Carolina 10-0.
The first inning of the Campbell game was very similar for both teams. They each loaded the bases but were unable to score. Jones was the starting pitcher for the Bison.
In the third inning, Zoie Smith ’24 smashed a solo home run for a 1-0 Bucknell lead. The Bison extended their lead in the fifth inning as Popella launched a double into right-center field to clear the bases. Bucknell now led 4-0.
The Camels made the game exciting in the final inning. The frame started off harmless with a grounder. Then, two singles and a walk loaded the bases. Next, Campbell issued a pinch hitter and hit a single through the right side, tallying two runs. Another single scored the Camels’ third run.
Now only a one-run game, Coach Sarah Caffrey decided to reach into her bullpen and pull out Roukey. Once Roukey arrived in the circle, she forced a fly ball for the third out, and a 4-3 victory was then sealed for the Bison.
The second game on Saturday versus Coastal Carolina was tough for the Bison as they lost 10-0.
Vestal was the starting pitcher for Bucknell. However, the Chanticleers’ leadoff hitter smashed a home run and set the tone for the game. A walk followed, then a second home run made it 3-0.
Roukey started the second inning, and Coastal Carolina continued to score and extend their lead.
As the Chanticleers dominated the scoreboard, Bucknell was forced to change their pitcher several times. However, because Bucknell went down in order in the fifth inning, the run rule ended the game early.
On Sunday, Bucknell played their final game of the trip. It was their second matchup against George Washington. This time Bucknell was not so lucky and lost 5-1.
Sarah Zimmerman ’27 received her first collegiate start on the mound and lasted four batters. The leadoff hitter walked, a flyout followed, and then another walk and a double scored the first run. Coach Caffrey put Roukey in as a relief pitcher. However, Roukey yielded a trip, which scored two more runs. At the end of the first, George Washington led 3-0.
In Bucknell’s first at-bat, they had a solid chance to counterattack. Elena Horn’‘25 singled and Smith hit her first double of the season.
Neither team advanced any threat until the fourth inning when George Washington scored two more runs and the Bison tallied one. Those were the last runs of the game and it concluded 5-1.
On Feb. 16, Bucknell will head to Radford for a three-game series against the Big South team.
