MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – A tough first inning for the St. Bonaventure baseball team proved the difference in the series rubber game at Middle Tennessee Sunday afternoon as MTSU claimed an 8-3 victory.
Bonnies reliever Kade Walker was excellent, striking out a career-high eight without surrendering an earned run over his five innings out of the bullpen, but SBU could never overcome MTSU's first inning outburst.
Things got away from the Bonnies early as Middle Tennessee plated five runs on four hits in the first inning. All of the damage came with two outs as a wild pitch, two singles and a double plated all five tallies with two away.
From there, the Bonnies were left to try to dig out of the first inning hole.
A MTSU error allowed a run to cross in the third, but the Bonnies missed an opportunity with two on and one out in the fifth to chip away further.
The Blue Raiders (8-7) tacked on a run each in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings for insurance.
In the ninth, the Bonnies scored twice on a run-scoring single off the bat of Morgan Little and a sacrifice fly by Jayce Tharnish.
Ryan O'Connell threw a scoreless eighth inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced.
Paul Vossen went 3-for-3 with a run and Antonio Cordeiro also had two hits for the Bonnies.
MTSU starter Trace Phillips worked the first 4.1 innings, allowing an unearned run. Patrick Johnson got the win in relief with 3.2 frames, striking out three and allowing two tallies.Â
Bona out-hit MTSU, 10-9, but left nine runners on base.
St. Bonaventure (4-9) returns to action Tuesday at Binghamton. Game time is slated for 3 p.m. on ESPN+.
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