By Mike DeSanto
Sports Editors
The St. Bonaventure University baseball team battled, but ultimately fell to Maine Saturday afternoon, losing 6-5 in extra innings to the Black Bears.
The teams matched each other offensively throughout the game, combining for 15 hits (eight for the Black Bears and seven for the Bonnies) and drew a combined nine walks for the game.
The Bonnies would get on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning to take the lead, but the Black Bears responded in the bottom of the third. With two outs and one man on, sophomore shortstop Jeremy Pena smacked the ball over the left field fence for a two-run home run, giving the Black Bears a 2-1 lead.
But in the top of the sixth, the Bonnies broke it open with four runs to go up 5-2. The Bonnies had loaded the bases with no outs, but junior first baseman Aaron Phillips was then thrown out at home on the next play. With the bases still loaded, junior right fielder Dave Vaccaro unloaded the bases with a three-run double to left field.
Vaccaro later scored on a groundout by senior designated hitter T.J. Baker.
But the Black Bears would not go down without a fight, tying the game in the bottom of the eighth with three runs. After loading the bases, the Black Bears saw junior designated hitter Christopher Bec double home a pair of runs, followed a single by junior catcher Jonathan Bennett to plate another.
The ninth went down scoreless, sending the game into extra innings.
But it wouldn’t be very long before the game was decided, as with the bases again loaded and one out, freshman Hernen Sardinas drove a pitch to right field deep enough to allow the run to score for the walk-off win.
Junior Brandon Schlimm started for the Bonnies, pitching seven innings and giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts.
Junior Justin Courtney took the mound to start for the Black Bears, surrendering five runs (four earned) on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts.
The Bonnies return to the field tomorrow against the Black Beats at 1 p.m.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
