Softball Edged By St. Bonaventure, 9-8, Despite Furious Sixth-Inning Rally
BOX SCORE
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With a pair of home runs by freshmen Sarah Petzold and McKenzie Bump in the bottom of the sixth inning, the University at Albany softball team battled back to cut the deficit to one in the Great Danes' season-opener at Jacksonville's Green & Gold Classic. However, the rally fell just short and St. Bonaventure overcame UAlbany 9-8 Friday evening at Pruitt Complex, improving to 1-6 on the season, while the Danes fell to 0-1.
UAlbany took the initial lead on junior Liz Snow's leadoff home run to start the second inning. The knock marked the 16th of her career.
However, the Bonnies quickly countered with four runs in the top of the third, taking the lead for good. After Kelly Farrell's solo homer to left, St. Bonaventure strung together a triple, two doubles, and a pair of singles to take a 4-1 advantage.
An offensively heavy game, both teams crossed the plate at least once in innings three through six, including UAlbany's run in the bottom of the third that cut the margin to two. Junior Kayla Bailey got things going with a single down the left field line, stole second and scored on senior Kelly Costello's RBI double to left.
In the fourth, Kiera Lorenzo's solo home run stretched St. Bonaventure's lead to three, 5-2, but the Danes got the run back in their own at-bats as juniors Mackenzie Cleary and Caitlin Cooper lined back-to-back doubles to left field.
Plating three runs in the top of the fifth, the Bonnies took their largest advantage of the game, 8-3, stringing together four hits, including back-to-back home runs by Katie Sinclair and Desiree Gonzalez.
However, the Great Danes didn't falter, battling to score two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Bailey sparked the rally again with a single up the middle. With two outs, senior Maggie Cocks singled home Bailey, Snow knocked a single through the right side, and freshman Chelsea Henige ripped an RBI single through the left side to make the score 8-5.
St. Bonaventure tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth that turned out to be essential. Kelli Rohan laid down a bunt single and stole second, setting up Emily Belfield's run-scoring single to right.
Trailing by four, 9-5, the Great Danes got the bats going in the bottom of the sixth, batting through the order. Cooper got the frame started with a single to right and Petzold followed with her first career home run. After a pitching change that swapped Kristen Hickling in for Carly Bilchak, Bump also belted her first career homer, cutting the margin to one, 9-8. However, that would be the final run for the Danes as Hickling worked her way out of the inning and through a scoreless seventh.
Bilchak (1-2) earned the win, allowing seven runs and 11 hits in five innings, while striking out two. Hickling picked up the save, charged with one run and three hits in the final two frames.
Sophomore Devin Durando (0-1) took the loss, allowing nine runs and 14 hits, while striking out five in the complete game.
On the day, Snow led UAlbany at the plate, going 3-for-4, while Cleary, Cooper, and Bailey each recorded a pair of hits.
Up next, the Great Danes take on Presbyterian College at 9 a.m. and Harvard at 2 p.m. on day two of the Green & Gold Classic, Saturday.
