Baseball falls to Canisius in Big 4 Classic championship
April 26, 2006
BUFFALO, N.Y. - In an attempt to claim its second straight Bisons Cup, the St. Bonaventure baseball team fell to Canisius 12-4 on Wednesday night in the championship game of the Big 4 Classic at Audubon Field.
The Bonnies were unable to solve freshman Aaron Boag who tossed eight strong innings for the Griffs. Boag scattered nine hits while striking out five and walking just one to improve to 2-1 on the season.
The brown and white defeated Canisius 12-3 in last year's title game at Dunn Tire Park.
The first three Canisius batters reached base to lead of the game. Starting pitcher J.B. Britton worked out of the bases-loaded jam allowing just one run thanks in part to a double-play. The brown and white tied the game in the bottom half of the second as junior Joe Rizzo led off the inning with a triple. One batter later, sophomore Matt Mardeusz's sacrifice fly to deep right field brought home Rizzo for the Bonnies first run.
After a sluggish start, Britton retired 10 straight Canisius batters before running into more trouble in the fourth. The Griffs load the bases again after Britton retired the first batter of the inning. This time the Griffs cashed in on the opportunity plating four runs to take a commanding 5-1 lead.
St. Bonaventure answered with a pair of one-run innings in the fourth and fifth to trim the deficit to two, at 5-3. Back-to-back singles by freshman Josh Perkins and junior Brian Pellegrini put runners on the corners to start the fourth. Rizzo proceeded to bounce into a double-play that scored Perkins. In the fifth, sophomore Randy Moley delivered a two-out RBI-single that plated T.J. Pennino.
Just as it seemed the Bonnies maybe in the verge of a comeback, Canisius put the game out of reach with three runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to take a 12-3 lead.
A trio of Bona pitchers combined to allow 14 hits on the night. Britton lasted 5-1/3 innings and give up seven runs on eight hits. Sophomore John Nolan worked 1-1/3 innings allowing five runs, three walks and two hits. Junior Ryan Kerr tossed a scoreless 2-1/3 to close out the game.
Pellegrini and Pennino each went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double.
With the loss, St. Bonaventure is now 16-15 overall on the season, while Canisius improves to 14-27.
The Bonnies will welcome Xavier to McGraw-Jennings Field for a three-game Atlantic 10 series this weekend. Games one and two of the series will air on WHDL 1450 AM on Friday and Saturday. The first pitch of the three-game set is scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m.
