April 26, 2008

Final Stats

CINCINNATI, Ohio - A three-run home run in the fifth inning proved to be the difference as the St. Bonaventure baseball team fell by one run for the second day in a row, 5-4, at Xavier on Saturday afternoon.

The Bonnies will try and salvage a game in the series on Sunday in the final game of the weekend set. Their record now stands at 20-18 on the season and 9-8 in the Atlantic 10.

Senior Cody Vincent made his second appearance of the weekend on the mound, this time as the starter. Vincent tossed all eight innings allowing five runs on nine hits. The lefty is now 3-5 on the season.

St. Bonaventure's four runs came in four different innings as the team pounded out eight hits. Senior Josh Sova went 3-for-4 with two RBI from the clean up spot in the lineup. Sophomore Nick Cunliffe picked up two hits for the second consecutive game and the fourth time in five games. Junior Kevin Suminski scored three of the team's four runs, including his first home run of the season.

The Bonnies took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Suminski worked a leadoff work and then advanced to third on a single by Cunliffe. Moley then grounded out to the pitcher, but heads up base running by Suminski plated the opening run.

Vincent retired the first seven Xavier batters before running into trouble midway through the third. After recording the first out of the inning, Vincent issued a walk and gave up a double to put a pair of runners in scoring position. The Musketeers then scored on a ground out back to Vincent and a wild pitch to take the lead.

A two-out rally by the Bonnies in the fifth resulted in a 2-2 tie as Cunliffe started things with a single. An error by the Xavier first baseman allowed Moley to extend the inning and advance Cunliffe to scoring position. Sova didn't let the second chance go to waste as he ripped his first of two RBI singles on the day to run the score to 2-2.

Xavier took the largest lead of the game in the sixth as senior Robbie Kelly drilled a three-run homer with two outs to give the home team a 5-2 edge.

Suminksi answered back with a solo shot of his own in the top of the seventh to cut it to a 5-3 game.

Vincent kept the Musketeers off the board the next two innings, giving the Bonnies a chance in their final at-bat. A routine ground ball by Suminski was kept alive as another Xavier error stretched the inning. Cunliffe then singled and moved to Suminski into scoring position at second. Still hitless, senior Randy Moley reached on a fielder's choice as Suminski moved to third and Cunliffe made the second out at second base. Sova then delivered his second RBI single of the game to score Suminski, pulling the Bonnies within one, at 5-4. With the game-tying run now on second in the form of Moley, junior Brandon Salerno harmlessly popped up to the shortstop to end the game.