March 6, 2007
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Before Tuesday, it had been a slow start to a highly-anticipated baseball season for St. Bonaventure. How quickly that changed.
The Bonnies out-pitched, out-hit and out-played the 12th-ranked team in the nation on its home field and won a 5-2 decision over Miami on Tuesday night at Mark Light Field.
St. Bonaventure won largely on the performance of starting pitcher Eddie Williams as well as opportunistic offense. Williams, a senior lefthander, gave up only two runs over 6-2/3 innings against the potent Hurricane lineup.
The Bonnies, who totaled 11 hits on the night to Miami's seven, struck first when senior Brian Pellegrini plated Kevin Suminski from third base on a ground out in the top of the third inning.
Miami answered in the bottom of the third when Yonder Alonso's single scored two runners, making it a 2-1 game.
St. Bonaventure took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning. With two outs, junior center fielder Randy Moley smacked a two-run double to right field that scored Tristan Mulcahy and Suminski. Mulcahy had doubled while Suminski reached on a walk.
Williams staked St. Bonaventure to that 3-2 lead before he gave way to senior Ryan Kerr with two runners aboard in the bottom of the seventh. It was an adventurous start for Williams, who allowed only six hits and two runs, walked seven and struck out eight batters over his 6-2/3 innings.
Kerr immediately worked out of a jam. He came into the game and promptly hit Dave DiNatale with a pitch to load the bases, but then coaxed Dennis Raben into a ground out to shortstop Josh Perkins to end the Miami threat.
Junior right fielder T.J. Pennino gave St. Bonaventure some breathing room in the top of the ninth. After Perkins and Pellegrini led off the inning with walks, Pennino drilled a 1-0 pitch from Anthony Nalepa into right center field for a two-run double that made it 5-2.
Miami got a runner to second base in the bottom of the ninth, but Perkins relieved Kerr and got the final three outs to seal the upset.
Williams (1-1) earned the win.
Moley led the Bonnies at the plate with a 3-5, two RBI performance. Pellegrini, the 2006 Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year, finished 2-3, while senior third baseman Matt Mardeusz went 2-5. Suminski went 1-3 with two runs scored.
St. Bonaventure improved to 2-5 on the young season while Miami fell to 9-6.
The Bonnies will return to action on Wednesday when they will play Penn for the second time this week. First pitch is set for 2:30 at Florida Atlantic University.
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