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May 6, 2009

Box Score

BRONX, N.Y. - The St. Bonaventure softball team dropped its Atlantic 10 Championship elimination game against Saint Joseph's 10-8 on Wednesday afternoon at Fordham University's Bahoshy Field.

The loss was the Bonnies second defeat of the day, they lost their opening round game to Saint Louis 10-0, earning them a sixth-place finish at this year's Championship.

The Brown and White finish their 2009 season with a 12-28 overall record. The team struggled early in the year during out-of-conference play, but turned this around during A-10 play. The Bonnies won four of their last six league games to finish 9-11 in conference and earn a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

Saint Joseph's (24-19) will now face the lowest seed of the Game 4 or Game 5 losers on Thursday afternoon.

Both teams combined to score 18 runs on 24 hits in the game. Poor pitching and sloppy play defensively once again doomed the Brown and White as they fell into a big hole early in the game. Freshman Erin Nargi got the start for St. Bonaventure and could not build upon the incredible outing she had against Temple in the final game of the regular season. Nargi pitched two and two-third innings allowing nine runs, five of which were earned, on 10 hits to take the loss.

Down 6-0 going into the third inning, the Bonnies finally showed signs of life at the plate. Senior Amanda Kotz started the frame with a leadoff double. After a sacrifice moved Kotz over to third, senior Andrea Swanger drove her in with an infield single to make the score 6-1. After a walk by freshman Brooke Frey, fellow classmate Ashley Nowak stepped up and delivered a two RBI single to center field that plated both Swanger and Frey to make the score 6-3.

Saint Joseph's would not let up, however, plating three runs of its own in the bottom of the third. A two-run double by sophomore Dana Bieniek and a double steal produced the Hawks three runs in the frame to make the score 9-3.

St. Bonaventure would not go down without a fight, plating five runs over the final two innings of the game. The Bonnies would score three runs in the sixth thanks to an RBI single by junior Stephanie Narde and a pinch-hit two RBI double by sophomore Maureen Wells to make the score 10-6 Saint Joseph's. The Brown and White scored two more runs in the top of the seventh. Another RBI single by Narde and a throwing error by the Hawks shortstop plated two more runs for the Bonnies making the score 10-8. St. Bonaventure actually had the tying run at the plate in senior Amanda Kotz with two outs, but she struck out looking to end its rally and A-10 Championship.

Swanger, Narde, Ashley Kotz and Amanda Kotz each had two hits apiece in the loss.

Tonight's game was also the final contest for seniors Kathryn Pazda, Andrea Swanger, Ashley Kotz, Amanda Kotz, Blair Freeman and Caitlin Tydings. These six seniors will leave the program with 73carrer victories and three Atlantic 10 Championship appearances in their four years with the Bonnies.

Head coach Mike Threehouse will be primed to lead his squad towards another A-10 Championship appearance in 2010 with a solid collection of returning talent. The Bonnies return five out of nine position players as well as their top two starters, Sherri Thompson and Erin Nargi, for next season.