LEWISBURG, Pa. – A furious ninth-inning rally came up just short for the Saint Joseph's baseball team as the Hawks fell to Bucknell, 16-14, on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon at Depew Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Bucknell (5-3) got things started with four runs in the home half of the first, but the Hawks responded in the second.  Owen Petrich led off with a single and went to third on a double by Luke Zimmerman; a single by Tim Dickinson two batters later scored Petrich to get the Hawks on the board.  Two batters after that, Conlan Wall walked to load the bases for Ryan Weingartner, who reached safely on an error that allowed Zimmerman and Dickinson to score and cut the deficit to 4-3.

• The Bison added three in the bottom of the second, but Saint Joseph's (2-4) would draw level in the third.  Ryan Picollo led off with a walk; Brandon Drapeau then walked with two outs to bring up Dickinson, whose second RBI single of the day plated Picollo.  Max Hitman then walked to load the bases for Wall, who cleared them with a double down the left field line, scoring Drapeau, Dickinson, and Hitman to tie the game at 7-7.

• The hosts went in front again with a singleton in the fourth and a pair in the fifth.

• The Hawks got one back in the sixth after a two-out Zimmerman single and walks to Drapeau and Dickinson brought up Hitman, who reached on an error that allowed Zimmerman to cut the deficit to a pair.  The Bison would then get that run back in the bottom of the frame and another in the seventh to make it a 12-8 game.

• Petrich reached on an error to start the eighth and came in to score two batters later on a double by Drapeau.  Dickinson and Hitman then walked to load the bases for Wall, who worked a free pass of his own to score Drapeau and make it 12-10.  Unfortunately for the Crimson and Gray, the Bison would tally four runs in the bottom of the inning to push their lead to six.

• Picollo led off the ninth with a double before advancing to third on a single by Petrich.  Zimmerman then walked to load the bases before Dickinson drew a walk two batters later to force in Picollo.  Later, with two outs, Wall drew another bases-loaded walk to bring home Petrich and bring the tying run to the plate.

• Weingartner responded with a two-run single, plating Zimmerman and Dickinson, to make it a 16-14 game, but Bucknell's Nick Mulvey would eventually escape the frame without the Hawks getting any closer.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Mulvey recorded the save to preserve the victory for Graeme Carroll, who allowed a run on three hits in three innings of relief.  Will McCausland took the loss, allowing five earned runs on five hits in four innings.

• Wall walked four times and drove in five runs, while Petrich led the Hawks with three hits; he, Zimmerman, and Dickinson all scored three times apiece.

• Dickinson recorded both his first collegiate hit and run batted in on Saturday; he also drew three walks in the game.

• In difficult conditions, the teams combined to draw 27 walks in the game to go with 23 hits.

UP NEXT
The teams will play a doubleheader at Smithson Field on Sunday.  A seven-inning game is scheduled for noon, with game two scheduled for nine innings, if daylight allows.