May 14, 2009

Box Score

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - Charlotte pounded out 16 hits, including 10 of the extra-base variety, as it clinched a spot in next week's Atlantic 10 Tournament with a 13-2 win over St. Bonaventure on Thursday afternoon at Fred Handler Park.

The loss slips the Brown and White to 23-24 on the season and 8-16 in the A-10. Currently in fourth place in the Conference standings, the 49ers are now 31-19 overall and 15-10 in league play.

Game two of three-game series will start at noon on Friday. Junior Dennis Sherba will take the mound for the Bonnies and will attempt to equal the program single-season record of nine wins set by Mike Gray in 1999. The game can be heard live on WHDL 1450 AM or via the Stretch Internet feature on www.GoBonnies.com.

As good as the Charlotte bats were, sophomore Joe Yermal was just as impressive on the mound. Yermal improved to 8-2 on the season by three-hitting the Bonnies over his eight innings of work. The only run giving up by Yermal in the seventh inning was unearned.

A potent Charlotte lineup that came with a team batting average of .321 wasted little time getting to starter Cael Johnson. The 49ers opened the game by scoring three runs in the top of the first followed by six runs on five hits in the second. The 9-0 lead by the second inning was aided by a pair of two-run home runs in the second inning.

By the end of Johnson's six innings of work, Charlotte held an 11-0 lead.

St. Bonaventure got on the board in the seventh when freshman Michael Grieco grounded out to the right side to score Kyle Gorby from third base.

Freshman Nick Brennen tossed the final three innings of the game for the Bonnies. Brennen's first two and two-third innings of work were scoreless until a two-run homer in the ninth gave the 49ers a 13-1 lead.

Sophomore Jesse Bosnik delivered his team-leading 13th double of the season to account for one of the team's five hits. Grieco's sacrifice fly in the ninth produced the final outcome and gave him a career-high two RBI on the afternoon.