WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The St. Bonaventure baseball team was able to earn its first opening series victory since 2012 when the Bonnies defeated Western Michigan in the season's opening series. Ted Dilts, a junior college transfer from El Camino College, went 5-5 throughout the doubleheader.

Game 1: Maine 8 | St. Bonaventure 3

The St. Bonaventure baseball team was looking to build on a season opening win Friday, however, the Bonnies fell to Maine 8-3 in game one of a doubleheader. Just as it seemed like Steve Klimek had worked his way out of a top of the first inning, bases loaded jam, Kevin Stypulkowski lined one into right field giving the Black Bears an early 2-0 lead. The Bonnies would get off to a good start in the bottom of the first as Cole Peterson, a freshman from Johnsonburg, Pa., recorded his first career hit, however, Johnson, Dunn, and Heath would all fly out.

Klimek, a junior right-handed pitcher, would then record back-to-back one-two-three innings and retire eight straight before Stypulkowski would again reach base, this time a single into right field just past the glove of Kirwan at second. Shane Bussey would then drill one over the head of Bonnies' center fielder Tyler Bell, scoring Stypulkowski and making it all the way to third base. Brenden Geary, the Black Bears' first baseman, added a RBI double to make the score 4-0 heading to the bottom of the fourth.

A Thad Johnson flyout and a Dylan Dunn groundout started out a bleak-looking bottom of the fourth, however, Bret Heath would walk and then steal second base. Senior Tyler Bell then grounded one past the Maine first baseman, who committed a fielding error on the play, scoring Heath from second. Tyler Walter then stepped to the plate and lined an RBI single into left field, Walter's first hit wearing the Brown and White, scoring Bell and cutting the Maine lead to 4-2.

In the top of fifth, Klimek would give up a leadoff walk, however, Bonnies' catcher Bradley Gresock would gun down his first runner of the year. A Maine double and walk would end Klimek's day on the mound, making way for Brandon Schlimm's first appearance of his young career. Schlimm would hit a batter and force Stypulkowski to fly out to left, however, Stypulkowski's fly out would score another Black Bear, making the score 5-2.  

Just as the Bonnies and Schlimm were struggling in the top of the sixth, a Maine batter lined one at Bonnies' first baseman Tyler Walter; Walter then caught the ball, stepped on first, and fired the ball to second to complete the triple play and to keep the score 5-2 in favor of Maine. In the bottom of the inning, Heath would again walk. Walter would then line one into the outfield and the ball would roll all the way to the fence on a Maine error, allowing Heath to score and cutting the deficit to two runs.

In the top of the seventh the Black Bears added three insurance runs to make the score 8-3. In the Bonnies last chance, Ted Dilts led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, however, the Brown and White could not push across any runs, falling to Maine. Scott Heath recorded the win for the Black Bears while Steve Klimek (0-1) took the loss for the Bonnies.

Game 2: St. Bonaventure 5 | Maine 3

The Bonnies got things going early offensively in game two. After Peterson flew out, Thad Johnson and Ted Dilts each singled before Tyler Bell drove Johnson in on a RBI double, giving the Bonnies an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, junior pitcher Connor Grey was able to work around a bases loaded jam to keep the Bonnies in front.

After getting an inning ending double-play in the second, Grey gave up a single to the Black Bears' right fielder Brian Doran. After that, an error by the Bonnies' second baseman Jared Baldinelli allowed Balzano on base. A beautiful double play by Cole Peterson would end the Maine threat in the bottom of the third, however, not before RBI singles by Scott Heath and Brett Chappell, giving Maine a 2-1 lead.

With a runner on second and two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Nate Grant, a freshman from Corning, N.Y., came into the game to make his second appearance this season for the Brown and White. Grant got Brian Doran to ground out to Baldinelli to keep the score at 2-1 in favor of the Black Bears.

On his third straight single of the game, Ted Dilts sent a ball into centerfield, allowing both Peterson and Johnson to score, returning the lead to the Bonnies 3-2. A Dylan Dunn sacrifice bunt and a walk a piece by Bell and Urban sent Jonathan Diaz to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of fifth. Diaz, like Dilts earlier in the inning, used the middle of field, plating both Dilts and Bell, increasing SBU's lead to 5-2. Baldinelli would then ground out to end an inning in which nine Bonnies made it up the plate.

A double-play and a throwing error on Bonnies' shortstop Cole Peterson would end Grant's relief outing. Aaron Phillips, a freshman from Cheektowaga, N.Y., came into the game for his first career appearance for the Brown and White, Phillips started game one in left field. After giving up a single and throwing a wild pitch, Phillips is able to get a huge strikeout to end the Black Bears threat in the bottom of the fifth.

Two more two-out singles by Dilts and Dunn created a Bonnies threat in the top of sixth inning, however, Maine pitcher Logan Fullmer was able to retire Tyler Bell to keep the score at 5-2 in favor of St. Bonaventure. In the bottom of inning, a RBI double by Brenden Geary cut the Bonnies' lead to only two runs. After recording the second out of the inning, Phillips was replaced by Thad Johnson. Johnson's first pitch got by catcher Dylan Dunn, however, Dunn was able to recover and toss the ball to Johnson who tagged Black Bear runner Jake Osborne for the third out of the inning.

The Bonnies threaten in the top half of the seventh inning, leaving the bases loaded, however, they cannot push across any runs. In the bottom of the seventh, Maine was able to push across one run, but after that Thad Johnson was able to shut the door on a 5-4 St. Bonaventure victory. The save for Johnson is his sixth career save, tying him with Cody Vincent (2005-08) and John Chrablowski (1988-91) for fourth place on the all-time career saves list. Nate Grant was also able to earn his first career victory.

Up Next:
The Bonnies head home for a week before traveling to Florida again to face Villanova for one game Saturday at 11:00 am. The Bonnies will also play Lehigh in a three-game series as a part of the Snowbird Classic.