May 5, 2008

Final Stats

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - Head coach Larry Sudbrook picked up the 500th win of his career on Monday afternoon with a little bit of help from his son Cory Sudbrook as the sophomore reliever helped St. Bonaventure hold off La Salle, 4-2, for its second win of the three-game Atlantic 10 set at Fred Handler Park.

Cory entered the game in the eighth inning with two outs after a sensational outing from senior lefty Michael Proctor. With the score 4-2 and two runners in scoring position, Sudbrook got Mike Dertouzos to foul fly out to catcher B.J. Salerno who made a tremendous catch along the backstop. Sudbrook then retired the Explorers in order in the ninth for his first career save.

Proctor hit a milestone of his own on the mound, picking up the 20th win of his career. The Galeton, Pa. joins fellow senior Cody Vincent and 2003 graduate Kyle Johnson as the only players in program history to reach the 20-win plateau. Proctor's seven and two-thirds innings of work were highlighted by six strikeouts and just two runs allowed.

The win puts the Brown and White (24-20) in sole possession of the sixth and final A-10 postseason berth at 11-10 with two weekend series' remaining. La Salle drops to 12-33 overall and 7-14 in the conference with the loss.

Four players accounted for nine of the team's 11 hits as the 3-5 batters in the lineup went a combined 7-for-9 and scored all four runs. Junior Kevin Suminski brought his hit total in the series to seven with a 3-for-4 day at the dish batting in the three spot. Cleanup hitter Josh Sova reached base all four trips to the plate, going 2-for-2 with two walks and a pair of runs. Senior T.J. Pennino made it 16 of his last 18 games with a hit due to his 2-for-3 day in the five spot. Salerno was the other multi-hit Bonnie with two RBI.

St. Bonaventure opened the scoring in the bottom of the third as Salerno surprised the La Salle defense with a two-out bunt single down the third base line to score Sova from third for a 1-0 lead.

Proctor held the Explorers off the scoreboard until the fourth as a leadoff triple by John Rickards put the visitors in prime scoring position. The next batter T.J. Chism then brought home Rickards on a groundball to freshman Brad Steinbach at third. Steinbach at first glance appeared have a play at home on Rickards, but opted to throw to first.

La Salle took its first lead in the top of the sixth inning as it delivered back-to-back two out singles for a 2-1 lead.

The lead was short-lived as the Bonnies answered back in their half of the sixth with two runs to take back the lead at 3-2. Sova and Pennino led off the inning with consecutive singles and both moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Anthony Randich. Salerno then tied the game at 2-2 with his second RBI of the game with a sac fly to right field to score Sova from third. Now with two outs, freshman Jesse Bosnik stepped to the plate and delivered a clutch double down the left field line scoring the eventual game-winning run Pennino.

St. Bonaventure supplied Proctor with an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh for a 4-2 lead. Suminski started the rally with two outs with his third single of the game followed by a single by Sova and another from Pennino that plated the run.