ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – St. Bonaventure made early offense stick to complete a season sweep of rival Canisius, 6-5, Tuesday afternoon inside Handler Park at McGraw-Jennings Field.
Kade Walker tossed a career-high eight innings to earn the win on the hill while Tristan Ciampa recorded a perfect ninth to lock in his second save of the year.
Canisius (11-22) scored a pair of two-out runs in the first on a hit to center by Josh Niles for the early lead.
Bona (14-21) got a run back on a sacrifice fly by reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week Antonio Cordeiro in the home half, then did some two-out damage of their own in the second.
Jayce Tharnish got things started with a two-out single to right, stole second and then came in with the tying run on a hit to center off the bat of Paul Vossen. Canisius' centerfielder misplayed the ball and Vossen put on the jets, coming all the way around to score the lead run. Morgan Little finished the uprising with an RBI single to right for a 4-2 edge.
St. Bonaventure picked up much needed insurance runs in the fourth as Cordeiro walked with the bases loaded and David Marshall Jr. brought in what turned out to be the winning run with a smash to right.
The Bonnies had multiple chances for more runs, picking up 15 hits on the day, but three runners thrown out at home left the door open for the Griffs.
Canisius clawed back into the contest with three in the seventh, but a double play ball finally ended the inning.
Surpassing 100 pitches for the day, Walker finished his longest outing by working around a walk to retire the side in the eighth to complete his line. He threw 74 of his 111 pitches for strikes to move to 2-3 on the year.
Adam Rankie increased his hitting streak to 19 games with two singles on the day, scoring three runs and stealing a base as well from Bona's leadoff spot. Jack Putney went a perfect 3-for-3 as SBU's top two hitters in the lineup set the table by going a combined 5-for-6.
Tharnish, playing in his first career home game for the Bonnies, had two hits and a stolen base while Harrison Kaufman picked up two hits as well.
St. Bonaventure remains at home to host Richmond in a three-game Atlantic 10 series beginning Friday afternoon.
GAME NOTES
- Rankie tied Jesse Bosnik's 19-game hitting streak in 2010 as the second-longest of Bona's Division I era and the longest within one season. The overall record is 20 games by Randy Moley set between 2007-08. Rankie also posted his 17th multi-hit game of the year.
- Putney logged his 11th multi-hit game of the season and third three-hit contest.
- Walker's previous long outing this year came in a pair of five-inning games at Middle Tennessee and Mount St. Mary's back-to-back in March.
- The Bonnies have their first home-and-home season sweep of Canisius since 2005, though the two teams have not played home-and-home every year in that span. SBU beat the Griffs, 15-9, in Buffalo earlier this month.
- SBU trimmed Canisius' all-time series lead to 56-55-3.
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