BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – St. Bonaventure brought the bats in the early innings to build a large lead and held off another Gardner-Webb rally in the late innings in securing a series victory with an 11-10 triumph Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the Bonnies take three out of four in their opening series for their best start since 2020.
For the fourth straight game, the Bonnies jumped on top early.
Jayce Tharnish walloped the first pitch of the game out to right center for his second homer of the series.
Later in the inning, Alex Hebenstreit delivered a two-out base hit through the right side to plate two more for a 3-0 advantage.
The Bonnies scored four more times in the second, starting with an RBI single up the middle from David Marshall Jr.
Bona then played long ball with back-to-back bombs from both Mike Gunning and Antonio Cordeiro as the lead improved to 7-0.
Winds gusting upwards of 40 mph caused havoc all day and led to an inside-the-park home run from Matt Ilgenfritz for the first run of the day from the Runnin' Bulldogs in the second to begin a three-run frame.
With the lead down to 7-3, SBU got a run back in the third, but Gardner-Webb continued chipping away with two in the fourth.
Tharnish and Marshall gave the visitors some breathing room by each recording run-scoring hits in the Bona fifth for an 11-5 lead.
Just like the day prior, however, the Bulldogs refused to go away.
Gardner-Webb (1-3) plated three in the fifth to close within 11-8 and appeared to have all of the momentum.
Junior lefty Tom Wilkie started to put out the fire, though, with five key outs from the bullpen. Then senior southpaw Gabe Watts came in and recorded four of his five outs by strikeout to finally stifle the Bulldogs rally.
Nothing would come easy, however, as the Bulldogs made things extremely interesting in the ninth.
A leadoff single and then two hit batters immediately loaded the bases with no outs against Bona closer Luke Roggenburk. A grounder to short that should have only plated one run ultimately brought in two following an error and still no outs.
Roggenburk was then able to coax a double play ball back to the mound, 1-5-3, before a liner to third with the tying run at second ended the game.
Watts (1-0) picked up the win while Roggenburk got the save.
Marshall went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Tharnish finished 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs.
Freshman Sam Barrouk made his collegiate debut with the start and pitched better than his line of 3.2 innings of four-run ball with three walks and three strikeouts would indicate. Freshman Jaxson Ross and redshirt Ryan Klementowski made their Bonnies debuts on the hill as well.
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH JASON RATHBUN
"We're very proud of the way this team responded after a tough loss yesterday. This opening series is a great start to a long season. I believe in this group and am excited to see them compete the rest of the year."
UP NEXT
The Bonnies start a four-game series at Morehead State Friday afternoon at 1 p.m.
------
For the latest news on St. Bonaventure athletics, stay connected on social media. Follow the Bonnies on X @GoBonnies and get baseball updates @BonniesBaseball. Keep up with the Bonnies on Facebook /GoBonnies and on Instagram @GoBonnies. Bonnies Baseball can be found on Instagram @BonniesBaseball.
