DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The St. Bonaventure University softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader against Little Three rival Niagara Thursday at Daytona State Community College.

Alexandra Piergustavo was red hot, going a perfect 4-for-4 in game one with three RBIs.

Desiree Gonzalez and Hailey Blencowe put together multi-hit performances in game one with two hits apiece. Gonzalez also scored two runs.

Game one: Niagara 9, St. Bonaventure 3 | 

The two teams went scoreless into the third before the Bonnies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Gonzalez reached on an error, and later came home on a double by Piergustavo.

But the lead would be short lived as Niagara got two runs in the bottom half of the frame on a two-run double.

Niagara then broke the game open in the fourth inning with five runs highlighted by another two-run double.

The pair of Gonzalez and Piergustavo connected once again for the Bonnies' second run of the day in the fifth. Gonzalez led off the inning with a double, and Piergustavo knocked her home with her second double of the afternoon to bring the score to 9-2.

The Brown and White managed one more run in the top of the seventh as Piergustavo singled home Blencowe, but that's all they'd get as Niagara held on to win, 9-3.

St. Bonaventure out-hit the Purple Eagles, 12-9. Of the 12 hits, Piergustavo made up a third of them herself with four, while Gonzalez and Blencowe contributed a pair each. Molly Hennessy, Morgan Phillips, Emma Borysevicz and Kiera Lorenzo all had a hit apiece.

Kristen Hickling started in the circle and went three innings while striking out two. Rylee Hehir came on in relief and threw the final three innings while striking out two.

Game two: Niagara 4, St. Bonaventure 2 | 

Niagara stormed out to an early one-run lead in the top of the first win an RBI single.

The Bonnies later tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the third. Emma Borysevicz and Kiera Lorenzo worked back-to-back walks to start the inning, and the two runners advanced on a ball put in play by Kelly Farrell. Elizabeth Enovitch then brought home Nicole Antonacci as the Niagara first baseman made an error.

But, Niagara eventually broke the tie with three runs in the fifth and never looked back.

St. Bonaventure got one back as Enovitch scored on a Niagara error put in play by Phillips in the sixth inning, rounding out the game's scoring at 4-2.

Josie Borysevicz earned the start in the circle for the Bonnies, and went all seven innings while allowing six hits and striking out five.

Enovitch made up the lone Bona hit and also stole her first career base.

Up next, the Bonnies will head to Jacksonville for a pair of games each against host Jacksonville and Cleveland State on Saturday and Sunday.

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