LEWISBURG, Pa. (Interstat) — Holy Cross crushed Bucknell 11-2 on Monday afternoon at Eugene B. Depew Field, completing a dominant performance that started with a first-inning homer and ended with a complete-game gem from pitcher Jaden Wywoda.

The Crusaders improved to 24-27 overall, while the Bison fell to 26-23 in the Patriot League matchup.

Wywoda worked all nine innings, striking out seven and allowing two earned runs while limiting the Bison to four hits. That included a stretch of 10 consecutive batters retired from the first through the fourth innings. His counterpart, Bucknell starter Jake Schultz, lasted 6⅓ innings, surrendering six hits and six earned runs with four strikeouts.

Center fielder CJ Egrie set the tone immediately. He led off the top of the first by homering down the left-field line, giving Holy Cross a 1-0 lead. Egrie finished 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored. First baseman Braden Connors provided the big blow in the sixth, launching a two-run homer to right-center off Schultz to extend the lead to 3-0.

The game’s decisive moment came in the top of the seventh, when Holy Cross sent 10 batters to the plate and plated five runs. Owen Stelzer doubled to lead off, and Egrie followed with an infield single. After a sacrifice fly from Alex Sandell scored Stelzer, John LaFleur drove in Egrie with a fielder’s choice. Connors then singled home LaFleur, Ryan Grundy singled in Gianni Royer, and Colin Brown laid down a successful squeeze bunt to bring home Connors, making it 8-0.

Holy Cross added two more in the eighth on a wild pitch and an RBI double by Royer, then tacked on another run in the ninth on Egrie’s second RBI single. The Crusaders finished with 11 hits.

Bucknell’s only runs came in the bottom of the ninth against Wywoda. Michael Trommer singled, Ty Lagoni and Garrett Mathias were hit by pitches to load the bases, and Lleyton Coupe drew a walk to force in a run. John Calabrese then grounded into a fielder’s choice to drive in a second run before Wywoda ended the game by striking out Andrew Swenson.

The Bison had scattered singles earlier in the contest—Trommer and Lagoni singled in the fourth, and Deacon Bowne singled in the fifth—but never mounted a serious threat. Bucknell pitchers Schultz, Bryce Mitchell, Mikey Myro and Dante Pavone combined to allow the 11 runs, though Pavone gave up two hits and one earned run in his lone inning of work.

The two-game series continues Tuesday and Wednesday at Depew Field.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 7-6 Holy Cross victory, and Bucknell entered as a 53.9 percent favorite according to Interstat’s ELO system. The Bison were also installed as a -1.5 spread favorite.