LEWISBURG, Pa. (Interstat) — Braden Green’s three-run homer capped a six-run third inning that propelled Bucknell to a 12-4 victory over Holy Cross in a Patriot League baseball game Sunday afternoon and evening at Eugene B. Depew Field.

The win gave the Bison the series victory, taking three of four games from the Crusaders over the weekend. Bucknell improved to 20-14 overall, while Holy Cross fell to 16-18.

The game’s decisive sequence came in the bottom of the third inning with Bucknell trailing 4-3. After singles by Michael Chiaravallo and Zach Selfon and a foul out, Green stepped to the plate against Holy Cross starter Derek Volz. The Bucknell shortstop launched a three-run shot to left field, clearing the bases and giving the Bison a 6-4 lead they would not relinquish. The inning continued, adding another run on an RBI single by Ty Lagoni to extend the lead to 7-4.

Green finished 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs, solidifying his status as the game’s top performer. His homer followed a solo shot by teammate Michael Trommer in the first inning that had begun to chip away at an early Holy Cross lead.

The Crusaders had seized a 4-0 advantage before Bucknell came to bat, capitalizing on control issues by Bison starter Brady Hoar. Hoar walked three batters and hit another in the first inning, with all four free passes eventually coming around to score. Alex Sandell delivered the key hit, a two-run single, to stake Holy Cross to the early lead.

Hoar (7-0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 7 K) settled in remarkably after the rocky first, shutting out Holy Cross over the next six innings. He allowed just three hits after the first frame, giving his offense time to mount its comeback and eventual rout.

Bucknell’s offense produced 16 hits. Lleyton Coupe, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning and stayed in the game at first base, went 2 for 3 with an RBI triple and two runs scored. Trommer was 2 for 4 with a home run, an RBI and two walks. Andrew Swenson drove in two runs.

Holy Cross managed eight hits, with Sandell leading the way. The second baseman went 2 for 4 with three RBIs, including an RBI double in the eighth inning. CJ Egrie added two hits and an RBI.

Following Green’s game-changing homer in the third, Bucknell added two runs in the fourth on Coupe’s RBI triple and an RBI single by Swenson. The Bison tacked on single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to secure the comfortable margin.

Holy Cross relievers Thomas Skrobe and Aidan Gilbert each threw two scoreless innings in the middle frames, but the Crusaders’ offense could not overcome the deficit.

The victory moved Bucknell to four games above .500 in Patriot League play, while Holy Cross dropped back to two games under .500 in the conference standings. The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which had simulated a narrow 7-6 Bucknell win and gave the Bison a 51.4% probability of victory.

Bucknell next travels to face Villanova on Tuesday before a four-game league series at Army. Holy Cross visits Brown on Tuesday before returning home to host Navy for a four-game set starting Friday.