April 17, 2009

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - The St. Bonaventure baseball team opened its three-game Atlantic 10 series against conference-leading Rhode Island with a 7-2 loss on Friday afternoon at Bill Beck Field.

Junior right-hander Tim Boyce was the difference in the game, tossing seven scoreless innings while allowing just four hits. Boyce improved to 5-1 on the season, while the Rams upped their record to 22-12-1 and 10-2 in the A-10.

For the Bonnies, sophomore Cael Johnson went the distance on the mound. Johnson gave up nine hits that lead to seven runs, but did strikeout a season-best eight batters. The loss slips Johnson's season mark to 4-2.

St. Bonaventure (16-13, 5-7 A-10) will look to bounce back on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the two teams square off for game two. The Brown and White will send freshman Sebastian Bellitto to the hill, while junior Nick Greenwood is the scheduled starter for Rhode Island. Both pitchers are left-handed.

Junior Kyle Gorby helped the Bonnies avoid being shutout for the second time this season by drilling two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning. The home run was Gorby's second of the season and third of his career. Sophomore Brad Steinbach highlighted the six-hit attack for the Bonnies with his 10th multi-hit contest of the season.

Rhode Island jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by second baseman Oliver Palmer. The Rams tacked on two more in the fourth, one in the sixth and two runs in the eighth for a 7-0 lead.

Johnson did give the Brown and White a chance to climb back into the ball game early, as he retired nine of the 10 batters he faced after the Palmer home run from the first to the third inning.