EMMITSBURG, Md. (Interstat) — The Bucknell Bison erupted for seven runs in the first inning and then held off a persistent rally by the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers to secure a 7-6 victory in nonconference baseball Tuesday afternoon and evening at Straw Family Stadium.

The win lifted Bucknell to 10-11 on the season, while Mount St. Mary’s fell to 10-12.

The game’s decisive and most chaotic sequence occurred before many fans had settled into their seats. Bucknell sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the first, capitalizing on timely hitting and a critical error to build a commanding 7-0 lead. Billy Ty led off with a single and scored on Michael Trommer’s run-scoring double. After a walk and a pitcher’s error loaded the bases, Garrett Mathias and Michael Chiaravallo followed with run-producing groundouts and a single, respectively. The inning was capped by three consecutive two-out singles before a double play finally ended the onslaught.

Mount St. Mary’s starter Jackson Snyder recorded only one out before being relieved by Kaden Kimble, who provided essential stability. Kimble threw 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and striking out five, which allowed the Mountaineers to begin their comeback.

The home team chipped away with two unearned runs in the fourth inning, sparked by an error in center field. Evan Meier and Alex Mendes delivered RBI singles to cut the deficit to 7-2. They added another run in the fifth on an RBI single from Paddy Hebda, making it 7-3.

Bucknell’s bullpen, however, repeatedly stifled potential big innings. Tyler Seidman, Tyler Hawkins and Bryce Mitchell combined for six innings, allowing just three earned runs. The Mountaineers pulled closer in the sixth when Sam Meyer launched a solo home run to center field.

The Bison appeared to break the game open again in the seventh. With two on, Ty Lagoni laced a two-run single, though he was thrown out trying to stretch it. On the very next pitch, Garrett Mathias crushed a solo home run to right field, seemingly restoring a comfortable 7-4 lead.

Mount St. Mary’s responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh on a double play grounder, and then mounted its most serious threat in the eighth. Trailing 7-5 after a solo homer by Bucknell’s Ryan Facinelli in the top of the inning, the Mountaineers loaded the bases with no outs against reliever Hadley Maxwell. A strikeout and a bases-loaded walk to Ty Fredo forced in a run, making it 7-6. The inning ended dramatically, however, when Christian Bauman was thrown out at the plate on a double-steal attempt, with Maxwell applying the tag.

Maxwell then worked a perfect ninth inning, sealing the one-run victory. He earned the save, while Seidman was credited with the win. Kimble took the loss for Mount St. Mary’s.

Offensively, Mendes led the Mountaineers with three hits and an RBI. Trommer had two hits, a walk, an RBI and two runs scored for Bucknell, which finished with eight hits to Mount St. Mary’s nine.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded under the lights, saw Bucknell win its third straight game. The Bison travel to face Penn State on Wednesday. Mount St. Mary’s opens a series at Sacred Heart on Friday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, on April 8.