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PHILADELPHIA – The St. Bonaventure baseball team (7-13) dropped its series-opening game against Saint Joseph's (14-15) on Friday afternoon, 8-4, to commence a three-game series which does not count against either team's Atlantic 10 Conference record.
Junior Joel Rosencrance (pictured) went 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored batting out of the leadoff spot for the first time all year, while third baseman Billy Urban added a pair of hits in a 2-4 outing as the duo accounted for Bonaventure's only multiple-hit performances of the game.
St. Bonaventure and Saint Joseph's are both in the midst of their lone A-10 bye weekend of the year, but the two squads agreed to play a non-conference series in lieu of the off week.
Austin Ingraham (1-5), Mark Hutmacher (1-5, 1 run), Nick Lohrer (1-3, 1 RBI, 1 run) and Michael Meredith (1-3) added the other hits on the afternoon for the Bonnies, who were playing their 17th of 20 games away from home to start the season.
Bonaventure took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning on Rosencrance's second double of the first two innings, this one a ground-rule shot to center field to score Lohrer, who reached on a two-out hit by pitch. However, after the Bonnies left the bases loaded in the top of the frame, the Hawks responded with three in the bottom of the inning, but only one was earned off SBU starter Andrew Revello as the Bona infield committed two errors in the inning.
St. Bona bounced right back in the top of the 3rd to even the contest at 3-3 on a fielder's choice ground out by Thad Johnson and a single by Lohrer. Saint Joe's, however, tacked on another run in its portion of the 3rd to reclaim a 4-3 advantage.
Joe's maintained that one-run lead into the 6th inning when it added to it to make the lead 5-3 and then blew the contest open in the 8th inning with a three-run frame to go up, 8-3. Bona added its final run in the top of the 9th as Rosencrance, following his third double of the game, eventually scored on a throwing error by the SJU catcher.
The Bonnies struggled to capitalize with runners on base all afternoon, especially over the first four innings when they had more than one man on base in every inning. For the game, SBU left 11 runners on base.
Revello (2-4) limited the Saint Joe's bats and pitched reasonably well as he allowed the Hawks just four hits over his seven innings. Only two of his five runs allowed were earned as the Bonnies made three errors behind him. The hard-throwing right hander struck out six, walked four but hurt himself with five hit by pitches and two wild pitches. Freshman Ryan Winton tossed the final inning, allowing four hits and three earned runs.
St. Bonaventure and Saint Joseph's resume their series on Saturday in game two. First pitch is set for 1 p.m., with junior right hander Asa Johnson expected to get the start on the mound for the Bonnies.
