Courtesy of GoBonnies.com
AMHERST, Mass. – The St. Bonaventure baseball team ran the gamut of emotions Saturday afternoon at UMass, first seeing a three-run ninth inning lead disappear before rebounding in extra innings for a 6-5 victory to earn their first Atlantic 10 victory of the season.
Jeff Palczewski delivered the game-winning hit with one away in the 12th inning, cracking a single on a 2-2 count to bring home Brandon Henshaw from second.
Palczewski’s clutch single came on the heels of a double by Henshaw and allowed the Bonnies to leave the field happy after nearly seeing what seemed to be a sure victory slip away in the ninth.
Bona appeared to have things in hand, leading 5-2 in the last of the ninth. With UMass down to its final out, Logan Greene smacked a three-run home run to left center to tie the game in shocking fashion.
That sent the game to extra innings where the Bonnies picked up solid work on the mound by Murphy O’Brien (1-0) who earned the win with three scoreless innings, striking out two.
The Bonnies used defensive miscues by the Minutemen to build an early lead.
In the first inning, Sam Fuller reached on a fielding error to begin the game, moving to second on a bunt single from Mike Magnanti. A sacrifice bunt by Ryan MacCarrick moved both runners into scoring position and Fuller along with Magnanti each scored on a throwing error by the Minutemen following a ground ball hit to the left side.
St. Bonaventure increased its lead to three following another unearned run as Fuller came in to score after an error.
UMass started to claw back with two runs in the home half of the second for a 3-2 margin, but the Bonnies soon got more breathing room with a pair of runs in the third.
David Vaccaro drove home the first run in the third with a single to left, bringing home Palczewski. Tyler Kelder followed by sending a double to left, scoring Vaccaro all the way from first for a three-run advantage that would stand until the ninth.
Braydon Nelson started and allowed two runs on four hits in two innings. Casey Vincent (2.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 K) and Brian Pulli (2.2 IP, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K) both tossed scoreless innings of relief in the Bona bullpen.
Magnanti went 3-for-5 and got on base four times during the day. Vaccaro singled twice and Fuller scored twice.
St. Bonaventure improved to 5-14, 1-4 Atlantic 10 while the Minutemen stand at 9-7, 2-4.
The Bonnies and Minutemen will square off in the rubber game of the series Sunday at noon.
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