By Chuckie Maggio @chuckiemaggio
You can’t win them all in college softball, and Bonnies head coach Mike Threehouse understands that taking two out of three is a positive outcome.
After an 11-3 win over George Mason on Saturday and an 8-7 victory in the first game of the doubleheader against the Patriots today, the skipper in his 19th year at the helm wasn’t too bothered by a 7-1 loss in game two.
“Obviously after you win the first two, you want to win that third one,” said Threehouse. “But the bottom line is (if) you win two out of three against anybody in the A-10, you had a good weekend.”
The 11 runs and 16 hits the team registered on Saturday were the most in a single game this season. The first game on Sunday was a lot less one-sided, with the teams battling all seven innings until the Bonnies won on a walk-off walk to take the 8-7 victory. Bona and George Mason each had 11 hits, with seven of the extra-base variety.
Unfortunately for the Bonnies, they used up most of their offensive pop in those first two games. They registered seven hits but left seven runners on base, including the third inning, when they had the bases loaded with only one out but failed to take advantage.
After a nightmarish top of the first, when SBU allowed six runs on five hits and an error, more firepower from the bats was sorely needed. However, the fatigue factor set in and Bona was not able to pull off the sweep.
George Mason pitcher Christina Gabrielle, who was pulled after one inning on Saturday after allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits and a walk, stymied the brown and white on Sunday. She earned the complete-game victory, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out seven. The turnaround in her performance was a big reason the Patriots were able to avoid the sweep.
“Softball and baseball are those games where pitchers can come out and pitch well one day and not pitch (well) the next,” said Threehouse. “(Gabrielle) pitched well against us today instead of yesterday and we just couldn’t score the runs.”
Leaving seven runners on base, the equivalent of a missed opportunity each inning, was one of the issues Threehouse lamented on when discussing the loss.
“When you get to the seventh inning and it’s a 7-1 game, maybe it’s a 7-5 game (if you convert with runners on),” he said. “That’s what cost us.”
Grace Rooney, Desiree Gonzalez and Emily Belfield hit home runs during the series for the Bonnies. They have one homer each on the year.
Bonaventure will next take the field on Wednesday in another home doubleheader, this time against the Fordham Rams. The Rams, who are two-time defending A-10 champs, are currently fourth in the conference with a 7-4 conference record and a 21-16 mark overall.
“You’ve just got to be ready to play,” said Threehouse. “In the A-10, every game’s a big game. (The Rams) are a very good team, and we have an opportunity to beat them; that’s what we always look for.”
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