Bona wins fourth straight, cruises to 7-2 victory over Niagara

Courtesy of GoBonnies.com

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – A five-run sixth inning broke open what was a close game and helped the St. Bonaventure baseball team cruise to its fourth consecutive victory, 7-2, Wednesday afternoon over Little Three rival Niagara at Fred Handler Park.

Four Bonnies posted two hits apiece – David Vaccaro, T.J. Baker, David Hollins and Jared Baldinelli combined for eight of Bona’s 10 hits on the day.

St. Bonaventure (11-10) grabbed the lead in the first after Cole Peterson doubled and later scored on a wild pitch.

Niagara (13-10) tied the game in the third, but the Bonnies took a 2-1 edge behind a fourth inning Baldinelli sacrifice fly.

The score remained at a one-run spread until the sixth when the hosts scored five times on five hits. Hollins and Baldinelli had back-to-back run-scoring singles through the right side before Tommy LaCongo came to the plate with the bases loaded. The Bonnies catcher, who had missed the past three games due to injury, unloaded a double to left to score two before the inning’s damage finally ended on a sac fly from Taishi Terashima.

From there it was clear sailing for the Bonnies who used six pitchers effectively.

Roman Wild (3-2) earned the win by working longer than any other Bona pitcher on the day, tossing 2.1 innings of nearly perfect relief, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out four. Murphy O’Brien started and threw a scoreless first, giving way to Brian Pulli who picked up five outs, three by strikeout, without allowing a run. Donovan Moffat did not allow a run while registering four outs and T.J. Baker struck out the only two batters he faced. Danny Urban threw the eighth and ninth innings, surrendering a run on two hits and also fanning two.

Greg Cullen and Trevor McCauley each had two hits for Niagara.

The Bonnies return to Atlantic 10 play this weekend with a schedule that has been adjusted due to inclement weather in the forecast. Friday’s scheduled start to a three-game set at home vs. Rhode Island has been postponed with the teams now set to play one game Saturday at a time to be determined and a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday with much higher temperatures called for.

GAME NOTES

• Peterson, Vaccaro and Baker all had stolen bases.
• Urban gave up his first earned run in 8.2 innings of work this season (six appearances).
• Baldinelli lifted his batting average to a team-best .338 by going 2-for-2 with a walk. Baldinelli, Peterson (.337) and Baker (.333) are all hitting better than .330 on the year.
• As a team, the Bonnies are hitting .279 on the season.
• Pulli has now thrown 3.2 scoreless innings of relief in the past week to begin his Bonnies career.