WEST POINT – Clint Moore, J.P. Polchinski and Chris Simmons homered, and Matt Fouch allowed three runs over 6.2 innings of work as Army staved off elimination with a 12-3 victory in the second game of its Patriot League Tournament best-of-three, semifinal series, Saturday afternoon at Doubleday Field.
Bucknell’s Ben Allen blasted a leadoff home run in the top of the 10th inning of the first game, providing the Bison with a 5-4 victory after the Black Knights had battled from three runs down to force the extra frame. The teams will square off Sunday in a third and deciding contest for the right to advance to next weekend’s Patriot League Championship Series.
Facing elimination in the nightcap, Army (which served as the visiting team in the second game) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on Moore’s two-out home run to left-center field. But Bucknell (23-22-2) forged ahead 2-1 on a two-out, two-run triple to left-center field by Dane Grandizio.
Army (24-24) took control in its next turn at bat, exploding for seven runs on seven hits to chase Bison starter Dylan Seeley (3-3). A dropped fly ball in center field helped to open the floodates as the Black Knights tallied six unearned runs in the inning.
With one out and no one on base, J.P. Polchinski lofted a fly ball to left-center field. Bison outfielders Dane Grandizio and Andy Brouse converged on the ball, with Grandizio calling Brouse off on the play. But the ball glanced off Grandizio’s glove and Polchinski advanced to second on the two-base error. Simmons followed with a mammoth home run well over the fence in left-center field for his second home run of the day, a blast that put Army ahead to stay at 3-2.
Ben Koenigsfeld and Tony Capozzi sandwiched infield singles between a flyout by Kyle Stramara. Moore then sliced a sinking liner off of the glove of Jason Buursma in deep right field for a two-run double and a 5-2 Army advantage. Andy Ernesto ended Seeley’s afternoon with a line-drive. RBI single to left and White greeted reliever Jimmy Murphy with a single through the left side of the infield. After both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, Kevin McKague drilled a hot smash to left for a two-run single.
Seeley was tagged for five hits and six runs (two earned) during the inning as the Black Knights sent 11 batters to the plate and built a commanding 8-2 cushion.
That was more than enough support for Fouch, who allowed just one more run before departing with two outs and no one on base in the seventh inning. Army’s lead swelled to 12-2 by that time as the Black Knights received a run-scoring single by Capozzi in the fifth inning, a two-run home run to center field by Polchinski in the sixth and an RBI fielder’s choice groundout by Ernesto in the seventh.
Tyler Anderegg fired 2.1 innings of shutout relief to seal the win for Army, allowing just one hit in retiring seven of the nine batters he faced. He struck out three and walked one. Fouch, who was named to the first team All-Patriot League all-star unit earlier in the week, ran his overall record to 6-3 with the victory. He permitted seven hits and three runs, while fanning three. He did not walk a batter.
Moore went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three runs batted in to lead Army’s 17-hit attack in the second game. Koenigsfeld went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while White, Polchinski, Simmons and Capozzi added two hits apiece.
Bucknell raced out to a 4-1 lead in the opener, touching Army starter Drew Clothier for one run in the first, two runs in the second and one run in the fifth. Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Simmons ripped his first home run of the day, putting Army on the board at 3-1.
The Black Knights chipped away against Bison starter Mat Wilson, plating two runs in the fifth on a two-out, RBI triple off the base of the left-center field fence by White and a run-scoring double to right by McKague. After stranding a runner at third base in the sixth, Army finally tied the score in the seventh as Ernesto ripped a leadoff double down the right-field line and McKague scorched a double to the gap in left-center field, delivering Ernesto.
Buursma was summoned from the bullpen with the potential go-ahead run on second base and one out. The submarine specialist averted further damage by striking out Polchinski and inducing Simmons to ground out to end the inning. The Black Knights would manage little off Buursma (6-3) the rest of the way as the senior right-hander retired 11 of the 12 batters he faced, allowing only an infield single to Ernesto with one out in the ninth. Buursma struck out two and did not walk a batter.
After yielding four runs in the first five innings, Clothier settled down for Army. The senior left-hander permitted just one additional Bison base runner to reach scoring position the rest of the way before leaving with two outs and a runner on first in the ninth. He allowed just one hit and three base runners during that span as he fought to keep Army in the game. He went 8.2 innings overall, yielding four runs (three earned) on eight hits, while striking out five and walking one.
But Allen’s leadoff home run to left-center field off Koenigsfeld (5-4) to open the 10th inning proved to be the difference. The sophomore shortstop went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two runs batted in to spearhead the Bison’s first-game attack.
Ernesto doubled twice and went 3-for-5 with one run scored and one run batted to head the Black Knights’ offense in the first game. White (triple), McKague (two doubles) and Capozzi (triple) collected two hits each for Army, which recorded seven extra-base hits (four doubles, two triples and one home run) during the contest.
“I’m real proud of the way the team bounced back after a hardfought game in which we came out on the wrong side,” said Army head coach Joe Sottolano. “We did a nice job of keeping our composure in the second game and fighting through some adversity.
“Matt Fouch been there for us all season,” he added. “He showed why he has risen to become one of top arms in the Patriot League today.”
Top-seeded Army will battle fourth-seeded Bucknell in the third and deciding game of the semifinal series on Sunday. The winner will advance to the Patriot League Championship Series where it will face either No. 2 seed Navy or No. 3 seed Holy Cross. Those two teams split the first two games of their Patriot League Tournament semifinal series in Annapolis on Saturday as well.
First pitch on Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Doubleday Field.
