March 7, 2007

Final Stats

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The St. Bonaventure softball team closed out its stay in Charleston with a doubleheader split against Bowling Green on Wednesday afternoon at Buccaneer Field. The Bonnies took the opener, 4-2, and suffered a heart-breaking, 1-0, loss in game two.

In game one, the Bonnies opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth. Sophomore Amanda Kotz's RBI single scored junior Kirstin Strong from second for the 1-0 lead.

The Falcons responded in their next at-bat, tying the game at 1-1 in the top of the fifth.

St. Bonaventure plated three runs in its half of the sixth to regain the lead for good at 4-1. Sophomore Ashley Kotz drove-in senior Caitlin Grattan with an RBI single for the first run. Grattan reached base to lead off the inning with a double. After a bunt single from Katie Pazda put runners on first and second, junior Brianna Bricker cleared the base paths with a two-run double.

Bowling Green was able to get one more run off senior Christine Keleher in the seventh before the righty slammed the door shut.

Keleher improves to 3-1 on the season with the win. She allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked a pair.

Pazda finished 3-for-4 at the dish to lead a 10-hit attack by the Bonnies. Grattan went 2-for-3 with a double and was the only other player to register more than one hit.

Game two featured a pitching battle between Bona freshman Sherri Thompson and BG junior Emily Gouge.

The opportunistic Falcons converted on leadoff single in the third for game's lone run. The runner scored on a pass ball after advancing to third on another single.

The Bonnies only real threat came in the fourth as Bricker was issued a leadoff walk. Bricker advanced to third as Ashley Kotz smacked a single, the teams lone hit of the game, to put runners on the corners with one out. The Bona comeback was not to be, though, as two-straight fly outs by Strong and Patricia McKeon ended the attempted comeback.

Thompson was the tough-luck loser in the pitching dual, allowing just five hits and one walk. Gouge's win was the second of the week against the Brown and White.

The split keeps St. Bonaventure's record even at 5-5.

The Brown and White will stay in-state for the Winthrop adidas Invitational this weekend. The Tournament is broken up into four pools with seeding being determined by pool play records. The Bonnies will open group play on Friday with a pair of games against Radford and Akron.