ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Niagara Wednesday afternoon at Joyce Field.
The Bonnies rallied in extra innings in game one, winning 9-8, but fell in game two, 16-8.
GAME 1 – St. Bonaventure 9, Niagara 8 (F/8)
Niagara got on the board first in game one, scoring a pair in the top of the first.
The Bonnies, however, answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first on a back-to-back RBI singles from Kendall Stull and Nolah Moyer.
Bona's pushed the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the third when Kymora Wang doubled home Victoria Jacques from first.
The Purple Eagles took the lead back in the top of the fifth on a fielder's choice and a single.
The Brown and White were quick to respond as Wang tied the game with her second RBI double in the bottom of the fifth. Moyer gave the Bonnies back the lead, 5-4, with an RBI single up the middle two batters later.
Niagara grabbed momentum back in the top of the sixth when Brianna Delaney belted a two-run double, giving the Purple Eagles a 6-5 edge.
The Bonnies were not done yet, however.
Jacques ran out an infield single in the bottom of the sixth, but Abigail Ahern did not stop running from second and came around to tie the game at 6-6.
Next up was Wang who belted her third RBI double of the afternoon, pushing the Bonnies in front, 7-6.
Ava Lomelin struck out three over four innings of work in the circle. Jordan Lucas picked up her first career win, allowing just one hit over the final two innings and striking out two.
GAME 2 – Niagara 16, St. Bonaventure 8
The Purple Eagles took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, scoring on a triple, a walk, a sacrifice fly and a single.
The Bonnies, however, responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first.
Wang started the scoring with an RBI single before Stull doubled home a pair to make it 4-3 in favor of Niagara.
Angelia Recrosio tied the game a few batters later, reaching on a fielder's choice.
Niagara retook the lead with four runs on three singles in the top of the second.
Wang came around to score for the Brown and White on an error in the bottom of the second, cutting the deficit to 8-5.
Niagara tacked on an insurance run in the third before adding four runs on two home runs and a wild pitch in the fourth, taking a 13-5 lead.
A two-run home run in the top of the fifth pushed the visitors lead to 15-5.
The Bonnies looked to rally in the bottom of the frame when Ahern singled home A. Recrosio. Two batters later, Courtnee Peterson registered an RBI single and Nolah Moyer collected an RBI on a groundout, bringing the Bonnies within seven, 15-8.
That is as close as they would get as Niagara put the game out of reach for good in the top of the seventh with a sacrifice fly.
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH MIKE THREEHOUSE
"We continue to swing the bats well. We need more consistency in the circle. Playing this game at a high level means you have to limit the bad days as much as possible. We will learn from it and move on. However, any day you win a game is a good day."
UP NEXT
The Bonnies travel to take on Saint Louis for a three-game Atlantic 10 series, starting Saturday, April 26 with a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
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