ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Joey Calabretti capped off a performance to remember with a 10-pitch battle won with a walk-off, three-run homer to put the finishing touches on a five-run ninth inning as St. Bonaventure roared back to down Fordham, 8-5, on an unseasonably cold afternoon at Handler Park.
Calabretti did it all for the Bonnies on Thursday.
Dramatics in the ninth? Check.
Multiple home runs? Check.
Homer-stealing catches? Check.
The junior two-way star finished the day with five RBIs while moving into a tie for third all-time in Bonnies single-season history with his 13th homer, most by any Bona player since 2006.
Bona seized an early lead when Alex Hebenstreit smoked a double into the left-center gap, allowing Antonio Cordeiro to chug all the way home from first for a 1-0 advantage after two innings.
Fordham moved ahead with two runs in the second as Mason Dean plated a pair with a single to right. Later in the frame, a hit batter with the bases loaded completed a three-run round for the Rams.
The visitors added to their lead by playing long ball in the sixth as Tommy McAndrews delivered a two-run homer over the 378' sign in right center for a four-run cushion.
If not for Calabretti's defense, though, Fordham would have built a larger lead.
In the Rams' fourth, Calabretti scaled the fence in left, timing his leap perfectly as he reached over the wall and stole a certain home run away from Joey Donnelly.
St. Bonaventure pulled closer in the home half of the sixth inning when Calabretti clubbed his 12th homer of the year to move within 5-3.
Senior Derek Duval kept the Bonnies in the game as he shut down Fordham's momentum with season highs in innings (6) and strikeouts (7) out of the bullpen.
Down 5-3 heading for their last at-bat, the Bonnies started the rally with three straight singles from Conner Vercollone, Ashton Ross and Anthony Fernandez to close within a run. Following a ground out that moved runners to second and third with one away, Manuel Castro dumped his fourth hit of the day into right, tying the game as pinch runner Christopher Florentino came in to score.
Fordham closer Aric Berg then entered the game and immediately began a long battle with Calabretti. On the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Calabretti belted a no-doubt bomb to left for walk-off magic.
The two teams will get back together Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
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