Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Ben Contento and Donovan Moffat combined to blank Richmond in the second game of an Atlantic 10 twinbill Saturday afternoon at Fred Handler Park, 5-0, helping the St. Bonaventure baseball team to a doubleheader split following a 6-1 setback in the early contest.
GAME 1 – Richmond 6, St. Bonaventure 1 |
A scoreless game through four frigid innings, Richmond broke through with three in the fifth and two more in the sixth to secure victory in the opener.
After Bonnies starter Braydon Nelson worked four quick innings, the Spiders (22-17-1, 8-6 A-10) broke the ice with three runs on four hits in the fifth for the lead. Two unearned runs crossed the plate in the sixth and the visitors never looked back.
Spiders starter Tim Miller (4-1) was in control throughout his seven scoreless innings and the Bonnies would only score a run in the eighth following a double from Ben MacDonald as the catcher would later score on a balk.
Nelson (2-4) struck out seven over his six innings of work, allowing three earned runs.
James Wetter also had a scoreless inning of relief while MacDonald posted two hits.
GAME 2 – St. Bonaventure 5, Richmond 0 |Â
The Bonnies (9-23, 5-9) evened the series with outstanding pitching and just enough offense in the second game of the day.
Jeff Palczewski gave the hosts an early lead when he homered to left in the second inning, a two-run blast that was his second home run of the season.
Bona pitching made the lead stick.
Ben Contento returned to the weekend rotation and allowed just one hit through his five innings to pick up the win. The senior fanned two and walked three.
Donovan Moffat picked up his second four inning save of the season – and third overall – as he kept the Spiders off the scoreboard for the final four frames, allowing three hits and one walk.
Richmond had its strongest threat in the eighth. With the tying run at second in a 2-0 game, leadoff man Jordan Schulefand lifted a fly ball into shallow left. With the lead runner tagging and attempting to score from third, Tyler Kelder's throw from left caught the runner from second in a rundown as he also attempted to tag. Branden Myers threw to Palczewski who applied the tag at third before the lead runner could score, completing the double play and keeping the visitors scoreless.
The Bonnies then got some insurance in the home half of the inning when Kevin Higgins tripled home two runs with a shot into the left field corner that passed just over the third base bag. An infield single from Myers then scored Higgins for the final run.
For Contento and Moffat, it marks their second combined shutout of the season with the first coming in a 1-0 win last month at Fordham.
The two teams are set for the rubber match Sunday at noon. With inclement weather in the forecast, follow @BonniesBaseball on Twitter for any schedule updates.
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