June 4, 2004

Box Score

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The Bonnies hung tough with the top-seeded Hurricanes, but in the end, Miami proved to be too much as St. Bonaventure fell 6-3 Friday night at the NCAA's Coral Gables Regional at Mark Light Field.

Miami, which is the number three seed in the NCAA's 64-team field, jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings and then held on as St. Bonaventure, true to its form of the past weeks, rallied late in the game.

The Bonnies plated two in the ninth, cutting the Miami lead to 6-3. Following a walk to King, Blakeley followed with a RBI double to left field. Malone followed with a RBI single to right field scoring Blakeley from second. Unfortunately for the Bonnies, Miami's relief pitcher Alex Blanco got sophomore Dan Bratys to ground out to first base to end the game.

Miami hurler Brandon Camardese threw 8-2/3 innings and struck out seven to earn the hard-fought win.

"I'm definetly not disappointed in our performance tonight," said Bona assistant coach Mark Evers, who filled in for head coach Larry Sudbrook, who was suspended. "Our pitchers challenged their batters and we were aggressive at the plate. We gave ourselves a chance to win, but couldn't get it done in the later innings."

St. Bonaventure will now have to bounce back in 24 hours when it faces Florida Atlantic at noon on Saturday in an elimination game of this four-team Regional. In Friday's opening game, North Carolina State rallied for a 6-5 win over Florida Atlantic with a pair of runs in the ninth inning.

In the first inning, senior pitcher Soren Johnson got the first two Hurricane batters out, but later gave up a two-out RBI single to Jim Burt. Erick San Pedro scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch.

Senior center fielder Matt Landahl led off the top of the second with a flair single to centerfield. Unfortunately for the Bonnies, Miami turned a double play to end the threat.

In the bottom of the second, Johnson gave up a one-out single, but retired the next two batters.

Freshman first baseman Kieran Malon singled to right field with one out in the top of the third, but that was all for the Bonnies as Camardese retired the next two Bona batters.

Miami extended its lead to 4-0 Adam Ricks led off with a single. Following a foul out to St. Bonventure freshman first baseman Kieran Malone, Ricks advanced to second on a Barton single. Ricks came in to score on the next play as Burt recorded his second RBI single of the game. Barton came around to score on RBI off the bat of San Pedro. A diving play by Bonnies' senior shortstop Eric Wilson ended the Hurricanes' threat.

After retiring the Bonnies in order in the top of the fourth, the Hurricanes extended their lead to five, as Roger Tomas scored on a RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Ricks.

The Bonnies cut the lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth. Freshman third baseman Matt Mardeusz led off with a double down the left field line and moved to third on a single by second baseman Craig King. Mardeusz came around to score on the next play as junior catcher Damian Blakeley grounded into a double play.

Senior Nate Cameron, pitching in relief of Johnson, sat the 'Canes down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth and also kept the the Hurricanes scoreless in the sixth, giving up only a two-out walk.

Cameron gave up a two-out single to Barton in the bottom of the seventh, but got Burt to ground out to Wilson to end the threat.

Miami, however, extended its lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the eighth as San Pedro led off with a solo home run.

At the plate, the Bonnies combine for six hits. Malone led the way, going 2-for-3 with a RBI. Blakeley finished 1-4 with a RBI and run scored and King went 1-for-2 witn a run scored.

Cameron allowed just two hits and the one run over four innings he pitched and struck out two. Johnson took the loss and fell to 4-3. Camardese is now 6-2.

"I felt good out there," said Camardese, whose club won its 18th straight home Regional opener. "(St. Bonaventure) is a good hitting team that came in hot. The idea was to get ahead and have fast innings."

"(Johnson and Cameron) came in here and pitched well," said the 'Canes' Burt. "They were hitting their spots, so we had to battle."

St. Bonaventure fell to 29-21 with the loss. Miami is now 45-11.