By Mike DeSanto
Sports Editor
The St. Bonaventure University baseball team battled against the Saint Louis Billikens for a6-5, 12-inning win Saturday afternoon.
Both teams nearly matched each other in hits over the course of the game, with the Bonnies picking up 14 to the Billikens 11. The Billikens struggled to bring home runners, leaving 13 men on base.
The Bonnies struck early, plating three runs in the top of the second. With two outs and a man on third, senior second baseman Jared Baldinelli singled on a bunt, allowing junior designated hitter Aaron Phillips to score. Sophomore center fielder Sam Fuller followed up by tripling home Baldinelli, scoring on an error at second base.
A run in the fourth inning broke up the shutout, but the Bonnies picked two more runs in the next half inning to extend their lead.
However, the Billikens would come back over three innings to tie the game. With the bases loaded in the seventh, sophomore second baseman Cole Dubet was hit by a pitch, bringing home a run. Freshman designated hitter Jake Garella brought in another run with a sacrifice groundout.
The Billikens scored one run in the eighth and another in the ninth to tie the game. The eighth inning run came on a two-out single by junior first baseman Nick Reeser. The run in the ninth, in the form of junior pinch runner Kyle Fletcher, scored when freshman third baseman Nick Mehlin, who had come in as a defensive replacement in the eighth, grounded into a double play.
The game reached the 12th inning still tied at 5-5, but senior Danny Urban, who came in to pitch in the 10th, stepped to the plate with two outs and ripped a single to plate junior shortstop Cole Peterson.
The Billikens went down in order in the bottom half and the Bonnies secured the win.
Freshman Casey Vincent got the start for the Bonnies, going seven innings and surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Senior Devin Mahoney started for the Billikens, going four innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts.
The Bonnies will finish their series against the Billikens Sunday at 1 p.m.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
