ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure University softball team earned a doubleheader split with Saint Joseph's, winning game two Saturday afternoon at sunny Joyce Field.
After dropping the series opener, 4-2, the Bonnies rebounded for an 8-4 victory in the nightcap.
Game 1 – Saint Joseph's 4, St. Bonaventure 2
The Bonnies grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Elyse Graham worked a bases-loaded walk.
The Hawks, however, tied the game in the top of the third with an RBI single to right field.
Saint Joseph's took its first lead of the game in the top of the fifth, plating a pair of runs on a triple and a single to make the score 3-1 in favor of the Hawks.
In the bottom half of the fifth, Emily Piergustavo cut the deficit to one with an RBI single back up the middle, scoring Olivia Whitecar from third. The Bonnies tried to tie the game on the play, but the potential tying run was cut down on a throw to the plate from the Hawks' centerfielder.
Saint Joseph's tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh, earning the game one win.
Emily Phelan earned the start for Bonaventure, pitching 6.2 innings and fanning six.
Brooke Bobbey and Whitecar registered two hits apiece for the Brown and White.
Game 2 – St. Bonaventure 8, Saint Joseph's 4
The Hawks started fast in game two, scoring three runs in the top of the first on two hits.
Bona's was quick to respond, posting a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first with RBIs from Abby Suhr and Kennedy Haberl.
Olivia Moon tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to center.
The Bonnies grabbed their first lead of the day in the bottom of the fourth after Whitecar plated the first run of the inning with a double to right-center field and Haberl followed her up with a sacrifice fly, giving the Bonnies a 5-3 advantage.
The Hawks pulled one back by way of an RBI groundout in the top of the fifth, but the Bonnies scored three in the bottom of the sixth to put the game out of reach.
Haberl registered her third hit of the game, scoring Whitecar from third for the first run of the frame. Suhr scored from third during the next at-bat following a throwing error by the Saint Joseph's catcher. Moon capped off the inning with her second RBI single of the contest.
Elizabeth Lis went the distance in the circle to earn the win for the Bonnies, striking out four and scattering just five hits.
The Bonnies and Hawks wrap up the season Sunday afternoon at Joyce Field, starting at 12:00 p.m. Following Sunday's contest, the Bonnies will honor graduating student-athletes Elizabeth Lis, Autumn Black, Lyndsay Flippin, Macy Miller, Abby Suhr, Juanita Wolak, Shannon Costello, Emily Piergustavo and Madison Stewart as part of Senior Day.
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