May 7, 2008
ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP - MAY 7-10
#2 ST. BONAVENTURE (20-23, 11-7)
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
DATE: May 7-10, 2008
LOCATION: Charlotte, N.C.
VENUE: Phillips Softball Complex
WEB BROADCAST: www.GoBonnies.com
LIVE STATS: www.GoBonnies.com
Game Notes 
|Championship Central
AT A GLANCE
After securing the second most overall (20) and conference (11) victories in program history, the St. Bonaventure softball team earned its third Atlantic 10 Championship berth since joining the league in 1988. Thanks to capturing eight of their last 12 contests in conference play, the Bonnies received the tournament's #2 seed for their best ever finish in the regular season standings. Following a one-year absence, the Brown and White are in the midst of their third A-10 Championship appearance in the last four years all under the guidance of 12th year head coach Mike Threehouse. St. Bonaventure qualified for postseason play in both 2005 and 2006 for its first two playoff trips, entering as the fourth seed on each occasion. This will be the Bonnies second trip to Charlotte during the 2008 campaign as they hope to pick up their first win in the Tar Heel State after dropping the season series to the 49ers on April 6th.
SERIES HISTORY
Both of the Brown and White's possible opponents in the tournament's second round are in just their third seasons of Atlantic 10 softball after jumping to the A-10 from Conference USA. Charlotte owns a commanding 6-1 all-time advantage over the Bonnies, including a doubleheader sweep this season. St. Bonaventure's only victory over the 49ers took place at the 2006 A-10 Championship as the Brown and White upset top seeded Charlotte 4-1 in an eight inning thriller. The Bonnies and Billikens have met only six times in series history with each team winning three games apiece. The two clubs also split this season's series at McGraw-Jennings Field on April 19th.
Bonnies in the Championship
The St. Bonaventure softball team arrives in Charlotte, N.C. for the program's third ever appearance in the Atlantic 10 Softball Championship. Head coach Mike Threehouse has guided the Bonnies to each of their three trips to the postseason, while nine players on this season's roster have tasted the postseason atmosphere. The 2008 tournament will be the third visit during the four-year careers of seniors Brianna Bricker, Patricia McKeon and Kirstin Strong. It will also be the third tournament appearance for Bona assistant coach Kristin Brunetto, who was an integral component to the school's first two Championships as an All-Conference outfielder. Despite posting only a pair of all-time wins at the A-10 Championship during their first two trips combined, multiple Bonnies garnered individual attention for their performances. Brunetto and Christine Keleher were selected to the 2005 All-Tournament team, while Lauren Krieger and Bricker were tabbed to the team following the school's second visit in 2006.
Winning Ways
Although the four-year careers of seniors Brianna Bricker, Patricia McKeon and Kirstin Strong are winding down, the trio has enjoyed a magical journey throughout their careers in the Brown and White. The three will leave St. Bonaventure as the winningest class ever to step on the diamond in a Bonnie uniform as they have been a part of 75 career victories, two 20-win clubs and all three of the school's Atlantic 10 Championship appearances. They have each etched their names in Bona history and have each been key contributors during the most successful span in program annals. All three have played in a combined 391 games with the Bonnies as Bricker and Strong rank 10th on the all-time Bona appearance chart heading into the A-10 tournament.
Sprinting to the Finish
After beginning the Atlantic 10 portion of their schedule with an even 3-3 mark, the Bonnies picked up the pace down the stretch to the tune of eight victories in their last 12 conference contests. Following a pair of losses at A-10 Championship host Charlotte, the Brown and White strung up five straight victories, including back-to-back series sweeps at La Salle and Fordham. The Bonnies received a spark from a pair of underclassmen during the 12-game span as each played integral roles to the team's success. Sophomore Sherri Thompson was in the circle for all eight of the club's victories down the stretch with five shutouts and an earned run average of just 0.83. She also made an impact at the plate with a three-run, pinch hit homer to send the Bonnies to a win at Fordham. Freshman Kara Morenus aided the Bonnies with her bat en route to nine hits, three doubles and a team-best 10 RBI during the stretch run towards the A-10 Championship.
Bring Out the Brooms
Although the Bona brooms failed to get any work in non-conference action, they were busy during conference play as the Bonnies posted four Atlantic 10 series sweeps during the 2008 campaign. Three of the St. Bonaventure sweeps came away from home with Temple, La Salle and Fordham all failing to register a single win against the Bonnies. The club posted their final two-game set sweep of the season this past weekend with back-to-back mercy rule triumphs over Rhode Island at McGraw-Jennings Field. Sophomore ace Sherri Thompson picked up the win in each of the eight contests of the four sweeps, while the Brown and White outscored their opponents 29-4 with five shutouts during the cleaning.
Race to the Plate
If opponents are looking for a way to beat the Bonnies, scoring first might be their best option. The Brown and White own a 15-6 mark during the 2008 campaign when tallying the game's first run. St. Bonaventure has been even tougher to beat in A-10 action wen crossing the dish before its opponent as they are 10-1 in league contests when scoring initially. The Bonnies are 2-11 when opponents score first.
Hitting When It Counts
Despite the Brown and White's struggles at the dish for much of the 2008 season, the Bonnies have had success hitting the ball in the right situations. For the season, St. Bonaventure owns a .239 batting average with just one everyday batter hitting over .300 as senior Brianna Bricker has mashed the ball at a career-high .346 rate. However, the club's prowess at the plate is significantly better when runners are on the base paths. As a team, the Bonnies hit .267 with someone on base, .274 with runners in scoring position and .281 with the bases loaded. Furthermore, the Bona bats have excelled with runners on third base and less than two outs as the 2008 edition holds a .526 clip en route to easy runs batted in.
Home Away from Home
Due to the unpredictable weather in Western New York, McGraw-Jennings Field saw little action during the 2008 season. The Brown and White played only 12 games on the St. Bonaventure campus this year compared to 31 contests away from home. The club played its first 26 games on the road, including a spring break trip to Fort Myers, Florida. The club didn't make their home debut until April 15 with a doubleheader against Big 4 rival Buffalo. St. Bonaventure posted a 7-13 mark in true road contests and a 7-4 record in neutral site games, while finishing an even 6-6 at home.
Series Splits
After a span in which the Brown and White lost four straight contests followed by a four-game Bona winning streak, St. Bonaventure split its next six two-game sets against Atlantic 10 and non-conference opponents. The Bonnies fared better in opening contests of a series, notching a 4-2 mark in game one. The club also posted series splits earlier in the season against Mount St. Mary's and Saint Joseph's.
Early Offense
Quick run production has proved to be a good sign for the Bonnies in the final outcomes of this year's games. The Brown and White own a 8-2 mark this season when scoring in the first frame, including a 5-0 record in Atlantic 10 action. Allowing opponents to tally a run in the first frame hasn't been a good sign for the Bonnies. When an opposing team scores on the Brown and White in the initial inning, the Brown and White are 2-11 overall and 0-5 in conference contests.
Atlantic 10 Weekly Accolades
A pair of Bonnies received weekly awards from the Atlantic 10 Conference this season as sophomore Sherri Thompson and freshman Kara Morenus each were cited by the league. Thompson was tabbed A-10 Co-Pitcher of the Week for the period ending April 14 after guiding the club to four straight victories in back-to-back series sweeps over La Salle and Fordham. Morenus earned Co-Rookie of the Week honors thanks to her production at the plate in the final week of the regular season. The first-year catcher posted a .417 hitting clip and knocked in five RBI during the club's two wins over Rhode Island.
Leader of the Pack
After turning in one of the finest sophomore campaigns in program history two seasons ago en route to an Atlantic 10 All-Conference first team selection, senior Brianna Bricker has returned to similar form in her final foray with the Brown and White. Bricker is in the midst of her best season at the plate, batting at a career-high .346 clip. The Albion, Pa. product paces the club in average, runs (30), hits (47), home runs (6) and stolen bases (5), while ranking second in RBI with 18. Bricker's 47 hits match her season total of 2006 which ranks as the third highest single-season tally in school history. Thanks to her six home runs this season, Bricker etched her name atop the all-time Bona home run chart with 23 career homers. She also ranks among the school's top 10 in hits (133/4th), doubles (19/10th), RBI (60/6th) and runs scored (80/4th). Bricker has also excelled off the diamond in her four years with the Bonnies by garnering A-10 All-Conference Academic team and ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District I second team selections.
Sherri in the Circle
Although she is in the midst of just her second season on the mound for the Bonnies, sophomore pitcher Sherri Thompson has developed into one of the premier aces in the Atlantic 10 and ranks among the best ever to wear the Brown and White in the circle. Following a freshman season in which she garnered A-10 All-Rookie team honors as the Bonnies' number two starter, Thompson has stepped into the number one spot with relative ease. The righty has established multiple single-season school records during her sophomore campaign, highlighted by the one-year strikeout mark with 168 K's. Her 16 victories this season rank in second place on the single-season win chart, sitting just two short of matching the all-time mark. Thompson boasts a 1.49 overall earned run average in 2008 that ranks 35th nationally and has been nearly unhittable in A-10 action with an ERA below one at 0.83. The Ulysses, Pa. product was cited by the conference earlier this season with her first career A-10 Pitcher of the Week honor.
Home Run Watch
The Bonnies have mashed 11 home runs as team this season with nine of the yard balls coming from just two players. Senior Brianna Bricker and freshman Kara Morenus combine for nine home runs as Bricker leads the club with six this season. Junior Ashley Kotz and sophomore Sherri Thompson have both added one homer apiece in 2008. Bricker is the program's all-time home run leader with 23 career bombs. She also holds the single-season record for most dingers in one year with 10 during her sophomore campaign. Bricker's six home runs this season rank in a tie for sixth all-time. The Brown and White own a 4-4 mark this year when hitting a home run.
Playing Smart
For the second straight academic year, the St. Bonaventure softball program notched the highest cumulative team grade point average in Division I with a GPA of 3.622 in 2006-07. In her junior year, Brianna Bricker helped set the tone for the Brown and White in the classroom, earning multiple honors for her academic performance. Bricker was named to the A-10 Academic All-Conference team as well as ESPN the Magazine's Academic All-District I second team.
Freshman Phenom
In just her first season behind the plate, freshman Kara Morenus has wasted little time in making her presence felt on the diamond. The Horseheads, N.Y. native leads the Bonnies with 22 runs batted in on the season. She also ranks fourth on the team in runs (15) and fifth in hits (29). Morenus has stepped up her play in A-10 action as well by batting .333 in league play en route to accumulating 18 of her 29 hits and 12 of her 22 RBI. The catcher also garnered her first weekly accolade as she was named A-10 Co-Rookie of the Week following the last week of play in the regular season.
