June 5, 2004
Box Score
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -
St. Bonaventure's postseason run came to an end Saturday afternoon with a 14-2 loss to the third-seeded Florida Atlantic Blue Wave on Day Two of the Coral Gables Regional in the NCAA Baseball Championship at Mark Light Field.
Florida Atlantic opened a 10-0 lead through three innings and cruised to the win, its 46th of the year. St. Bonaventure came up with just seven hits against a pair of FAU pitchers and stranded eight baserunners.
"After playing four very nice baseball games in our Atlantic 10 Tournament, I am disappointed that we go home on a day like this," said Bonnies' head coach Larry Sudbrook. "We're disappointed in having to go out this way, especially after the game last night against Miami (a 6-3 loss to the region's top seed)."
St. Bonaventure's game with Miami ended at 11:30 p.m. on Friday night, giving the Bonnies little rest before Saturday's noon start time.
Playing under a hot sun and blue skies, the Blue Wave jumped out to a 3-0 in the top of the first on a three-run homer by Rusty Brown off Bonnies' freshman starter Mike Proctor. Florida Atlantic added four more rund in the top of the second to extend its lead to 7-0. Brown crushed his second home run of the game, this time a two-run shot.
The Blue Wave continued to add to their lead, scoring two in the top of the third. Robbie Widlansky and Evan Brannon led off the top half with back-to-back walks off junior Mike McCormack, who came on in the top of the third in relief of Proctor. Orton followed with a triple to the right-center gap, scoring Widlansky and Brannon. Orton then came around to score on the next play as Jeff Fiorentino singled to center field.
The Bonnies got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third as freshman first baseman Kieran Malone, who walked to lead off the inning, came around to score. Malone scored from second as Matt McBryde misplayed a line drive off the bat of St. Bonaventure freshman Brian Pellegrini.
Florida Atlantic regained a 10-run lead in the fourth when Orton lined a RBI single to center field, scoring Widlansky from second.
St. Bonaventure cut into the Blue Wave lead in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Dan Bratys singled to left field to score junior second baseman Craig King from third. King had singled.
Florida Atlantic extended its lead to 14-2 in the top of the eighth as Brown recorded his sixth RBI of the game, scoring Fiorentino from second with a double to left field. Brown came around to score on the next play as pinch hitter Jordan Hafer singled to center field. Evan Brannon followed with an RBI double to the left-center gap, scoring Hafner.
"I was real concerned with us coming out flat," said Florida Atlantic coach Kevin Cooney. "But we got off to a good start, got early runs and we went from there. Rusty (Brown) provided us with early runs, which was key for us in an elimination game. We knew that St. Bonaventure was an extremely scrappy team that didn't quit and really coached well."
King went 2-4 with a run scored and one stolen base to lead the Bona offense. Bratys finished 2-3 with an RBI. Proctor suffered the loss and completed the year 5-3.
The Bonnies, who won the 2004 Atlantic 10 Championship, finished the season 29-22, which is one shy of the school record for wins in a season. Four seniors - Nate Cameron, Soren Johnson, Matt Landahl and Eric Wilson - graduate, but Sudbrook will return the bulk of his roster in 2005.
