ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure baseball team clinched their second straight series win, beating UMass 10-5, to extend their win streak to five games Saturday afternoon at Handler Park.
The teams both got off to hot starts to begin the game.
In the top of the first, UMass brought two runs home on a two-out rally. Following a walk, Minutemen right fielder Carter Hanson sent a double down the right field line, allowing a run to score on an error. Hanson came around to score on a single by the next batter.
The Bonnies responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. After a leadoff single from Jayce Tharnish, David Marshall Jr. cracked his second home run of the series over the right field wall to even the score.
UMass added two more runs in the third.
After loading the bases with no outs, the Minutemen grounded into a double play that scored the runner from third. Another run came in to score on a wild pitch during the next at bat.
Bona answered the Minutemen rally again, this time taking the lead.
Back-to-back singles in the third from Marshall and Chris Hoalcraft began the Bonnies' rally. With two outs, Conner Vercollone brought both runners in on a single to center field. Antonio Cordeiro gave the Bonnies their first lead of the game, bringing Vercollone home on a double in the right center gap.
The Minutemen (13-31-1, 6-20 A-10)Â tied the game up once again in the fifth. After leading the inning off with a double, Matt Travisano stole third and advanced home on an error.
It took Bonaventure only one inning to reclaim the lead.
After a leadoff double from Robert Mannino and a single from Mike Gunning, Gavin Constantine laid down a bunt that resulted in an error to score Mannino. Gunning came into score later in the inning on a sac fly from Marshall.
The Bonnies (18-27, 9-17 A-10) added a few insurance runs in the seventh.
Hoalcraft started the Bonnies rally with a leadoff double down the left field line. After a sacrifice bunt from Harrison Kaufman moved him to third, Hoalcraft scored on a Vercollone triple to center field. Vercollone came into score on Mannino's second hit of the game, an RBI single through the middle to make it a 9-5 game.
The Bonnies added on more run in the eighth, with Tharnish leading off with a single and coming in to score on an error.
Gabe Watts started the game on the mound for the Bonnies. In three innings, Watts allowed two hits and struck out six. David James came in for relief, throwing four innings of one-run ball while racking up seven strikeouts to earn the win. Luke Roggenburk closed out the last two innings, shutting out the Minutemen and striking out two.
The Bonnies will look to make it two straight series sweep Sunday, with the series finale scheduled for 1 p.m. Senior Day festivities will be held after the game.
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