May 28, 2006

Box Score

BRONX, N.Y. - Saint Louis erupted for seven runs in the ninth inning for a 7-0 win over St. Bonaventure in the championship game of the 2006 Atlantic 10 Baseball Tournament on Sunday at Houlihan Park.

Bonnies starter Cody Vincent worked into the ninth inning before he left with runners on first and second with one out. Saint Louis catcher Bill Musselman greeted reliever John Zinnicker with a home run off of the left field foul pole that made it 3-0. Later in the frame, John Guyer hit a three-run homer off Sean Bruet for some insurance runs.

The Bonnies got two men aboard in the ninth but could not push a run across. Saint Louis starter Ryan Bird, who was named the tournament MVP, allowed five hits over eight innings. Eric Mueller closed the game.

"We had two bad innings in three games against (Saint Louis) and that was the only difference," said St. Bonaventure head coach Larry Sudbrook. "Saint Louis is a very good program and they deserved the win. Cody Vincent pitched an unbelievable game into the ninth and he deserved better. All in all, we have a lot to be proud of. We won 21 out of 31 games we played in conference this year and went all the way to the last day of the year."

St. Bonaventure stranded 10 baserunners on the day and had five hits total. The Bonnies end the season 29-21. Saint Louis, which is in its first year as a member of the A-10, is 32-27 and advances to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1966.

Vincent went 8-1/3 and allowed only two hits. He was charged with two runs.

Four Bonnies players were named to the All-Tournament team: Zinnicker, junior left fielder Joe Rizzo (Pittsford, N.Y.), sophomore center fielder Randy Moley (Buffalo, N.Y.) and senior pitcher/third baseman Matt Agostinelli (Rochester, N.Y.).