April 26, 2007

Final Stats

HARTFORD, CT. - The St. Bonaventure softball team picked up its second doubleheader sweep of the week on Thursday afternoon, downing Hartford 4-0 in the opener and 6-5 in game two at UH Softball Field.

Freshman Sherri Thompson was the difference in the game one win, striking out a career-high 11 batters for the second-straight outing and allowing just three hits. Sophomore Ashley Kotz broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning of the nightcap with a two-run home run to give the Bonnies their fifth win in a row.

St. Bonaventure is now 16-14 on the season with just three Atlantic 10 doubleheaders remaining. Hartford lost all three meetings against the Bonnies this season and is now 19-20 overall.

In the opener, all four of the Bonnies' run were of the unearned run variety. Junior Kirstin Strong gave St. Bonaventure a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI single to bring home Kathryn Pazda.

The third inning was fueled by two Hartford errors as sophomores Caitlin Tydings and Amanda Kotz delivered RBI singles, while freshman Stephanie Narde's sacrifice fly made it 4-0.

That was all the support Thompson would need as she tossed her fourth shutout in the last five games to improve to 6-8. Thompson hasn't allowed an earned run in her last 37 innings of work.

Game two went into extra innings with the score tied 4-4. Tydings was placed at second to start the eighth inning due to international tie-breaker rules. Ashley Kotz gave the Bonnies the lead with a two-run home run to make it 6-4.

The Hawks made things interesting in their half of the eighth, cutting the lead to 6-5 putting two runners in scoring position with one out. Senior Christine Keleher worked out of the jam by getting a foul fly out and fly ball to left field to close the game.

Keleher went all eight innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits. Keleher finished with six strikeouts as she upped her record to 9-6.

Senior Anna Nagro reached base five times on the afternoon and had four hits. Ashley Kotz went 3-for-6 with three runs scored, a double and her third home run of the season. Pazda collected three hits, while Strong, Amanda Kotz, Tydings and Narde all had two hits apiece.

St. Bonaventure will welcome Charlotte to McGraw-Jennings Field on Saturday for an Atlantic 10 doubleheader. Game one will start at noon.