By Pat Tintle
Contributing Writer
After a trip to the University of North Florida for a four-game tournament, the Bonnies are traveling to Dover for the Delaware State Hornet Invite. They will compete with Mount St. Mary’s, Niagara, Delaware State and another team to be announced.
“We will have good head-to-head ballgames,” Coach Mike Threehouse said.
The Bonnies’ March 16-17 tournament will begin against Mount St. Mary’s (2-12) Saturday. The Bonnies are slated to face off against Mountaineers’ right-handed pitcher Nicole Pagano, who is coming off a combined no-hitter against Howard (5 IP). According to Threehouse, the Bonnies will have to make their own adjustments at the plate.
“We will need to have a combination of being selective and attacking her early in the count,” Threehouse said.
In preparation for the Mountaineers and Pagano, the Bonnies have practiced by raising their pitching machine to top speed, according to Threehouse.
The team will play Niagara (3-12) on Saturday.
“Niagara has been struggling to hit the ball all season,” Threehouse said.
The Bonnies’ pitching, which has struggled this year, will be able to show what they can do against Niagara, according to Threehouse.
On March 17, the team will go up against Delaware State (2-9), with whom the Bonnies have split their two games series with so far this season. St. Bonaventure gave up a 6-0 lead to Delaware State that led to a loss in the first game. The Bonnies came back two games later to beat the Hornets 8-5.
“There are no surprises with Delaware,” Threehouse said. “We know what they are and how they play.”
The starting pitching for the Bonnies in the four-game event is yet to be determined, Threehouse said.
Threehouse said he is looking at his offense to carry the team to victory. Freshman shortstop Emily McDonough and junior outfielder Ashley Snider will help provide the top of the lineup with consistent hitting, while sophomore third baseman Grace Rooney, who has been on a hot streak her past four games (.500 BA, with 3 runs), will give the bottom of the lineup some punch, Threehouse said.
There are also players looking to take their game to the next level in the upcoming games. Junior outfielder Lindsay Stowell is looking “to kick it” at the plate, Threehouse said.
“She’s been working in the batting cage in practice and she’s seen her batting average go up in return,” Threehouse said.
Despite having already played 18 games, the Bonnies have been inactive for more than a week.
“Layoffs can have an affect on a team, but they are all young and in shape, so I’m not too worried about it,” Threehouse said. “We just have to come out strong in the first inning.”
