BUCKNELL BOX SCORE (PDF)
CANISIUS BOX SCORE (PDF)
CLEVELAND, OHIO – The St. Bonaventure softball team (0-6) is still in search of its first win following today's pair of games to open up the Cleveland State University Dome Tournament. The Bonnies fell to Bucknell, 8-7, in a dramatic extra-inning affair before dropping the first of two games this weekend Little Three rival Canisius, 5-2, in the afternoon.
In the Bucknell game, the Bonnies jumped ahead in the bottom of the first thanks to a Hali Enderby homerun, her first of the season. Sophomore pitcher Julia Pratt tossed three scoreless innings until Bucknell pushed across the tying run following an error.
In the top of the fifth the Bison put up four runs on four hits off Pratt to take a 5-1 lead. After a scoreless bottom of the fifth, the Bonnies shut down Bucknell in the top of the sixth and found their groove with the bats in the bottom half.
Enderby led off the frame with a double up the middle. Ashley Snider followed with a single giving the Bonnies first and third with no one out. Following a groundout, Christine Watson singled home Enderby. Katie Sinclair then came to the plate and blasted her team and Atlantic 10 leading third homerun of the season to tie the score.
Following a scoreless seventh for both teams, the game headed to extra innings. In the top half of the frame, Bucknell took a one-run lead but Pratt was able to limit the damage forcing the Bison to leave two runners on base.
Needing a run to extend the game, It was Sinclair delivering again, this time with runners on first and third and no one out, she singled up the middle, bringing home Jessenia Andujar. That was all the Bonnies would be able to muster however, sending the game into a ninth inning.
Once again Bucknell was able to come up with the go-ahead run, forcing Pratt out of the game, forcing freshman Carly Bilchak into action. Bilchak however worked out of a jam to keep the lead at just one.
In the bottom of the ninth, with Emily Belfield on second, Grace Rooney put down a sacrifice bunt to move Belfield over. Emily McDonough then singled to left tying the score again. McDonough would be caught stealing at second for the second out then Enderby would fly out to force a tenth inning.
Bucknell continued to push the clutch button however in the tenth, scoring just one run yet again and putting the pressure back on the Bonnies to produce in the bottom half. The magic ran out however when Watson struck out swinging with a runner on third to end the game, giving Bucknell the 8-7 victory.
The Bonnies would not have much time to reflect on the loss however as their game with Canisius got underway not long after.
Freshmen Alexis Sloat took to the circle for the Bonnies against the rival Golden Griffins. This time the Brown and White would be the visitors on the scoreboard.
After a scoreless inning and half, Canisius exploded for four runs on four hits in the bottom of the second. Canisius added a fifth run in the fourth. The Bonnies got back in the game in the sixth with two runs of their own but were unable to produce in the seventh to extend the game. The Brown and White fell 5-2.
Freshman Katie Sinclair went 3-6 on the day with four runs batted in including a home run. Hali Enderby went 2-8 with an RBI and Emily McDonough went 4-8 with an RBI over the two games.
The Bonnies will be back in action tomorrow at noon in a rematch with Canisius. They will follow that up with a 4:00 p.m. matchup with host school Cleveland State.
