By Mike DeSanto
Sports Editor
The St. Bonaventure University baseball team opened its three game weekend series against the Dayton Flyers Saturday, winning 9-0. The Bonnies record improves to 8-10, 3-4 in Atlantic 10 play.
The Bonnies were able to out hit the Flyers (9-14, 1-3 A10) over the course of the game 8-4. The Bonnies also benefitted from the Flyers committing a pair of errors and leaving 10 runs stranded on base.
“It was probably our most complete game of the year,” Coach Larry Sudbrook said. “I thought in the first three innings we got after them. We moved runners along well, we put the ball in play when we needed to, ran a squeeze play; we were aggressive the first three innings and sort of took the game to them. I thought in the middle part of the game we had a chance to put the game away a couple times and we didn’t do it. We had a couple of guys strike out in the one and the two hole with guys on base, and those guys are usually contact hitters, so that was kind of disappointing.”
After scoring three combined runs between the second and third innings, the Bonnies opened the scoring flood gates in the bottom of the sixth with four runs.
Junior pitcher Aaron Phillips (bunt single) and senior first baseman T.J. Baker (walk) reached base, moving up a base each on a groundout, junior left fielder Ryan MacCarrick smacked a two run single into centerfield. The Bonnies were then able to load the bases when junior shortstop Cole Peterson singled and junior third baseman David “Bubba” Hollins drew a walk. This set up junior right fielder Dave Vaccaro to bring home another two runs on a double.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Bonnies added a pair of insurance runs, the first coming from Vaccaro with a single. The second, which marked the final run of the game, saw Hollins reach the plate on a wild pitch.
After drawing an opening walk, the next three Flyers were set down in order and the Bonnies secured the victory.
Phillips started on the mound for the Bonnies, throwing eight shutout innings and giving up four hits, walking three and striking out seven.
“Aaron was outstanding. I think the only blip on the record was he may have walk three guys or so, hit a guy, [but] other than that he controlled the game,” Sudbrook said. “I don’t know that they ever got a runner third base even. He really dominated the baseball game. He gave us every opportunity to win it.”
Sophomore Austin Cline got the start for the Flyers, surrendering five runs (three earned) on three hits, seven walks and three strikeouts.
The Bonnies will play the Flyers in a doubleheader on Sunday, starting at noon. Freshman Casey Vincent will start the first game and fellow freshman Murphy O’Brien will start the second, according to Sudbrook.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
