OLEAN, N.Y. – Three days of wind, snow, and cold temperatures conspired to cancel all but a single game of the Saint Joseph's baseball team's weekend series at St. Bonaventure. In that contest, started on Friday and suspended, the Hawks earned a 4-3 victory.
The game was suspended on Friday afternoon with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and the Hawks on top, 6-5. By NCAA rule, the result of the game reverts back to the last completed inning, which in this case was the sixth.
It was St. Bonaventure (6-15 overall, 2-5 Atlantic 10) that took the early lead as Casey Vincent hit a two-out single in the bottom of the first to score Brandon Henshaw with the game's first run.
Saint Joseph's (12-13 overall, 3-4 Atlantic 10) went ahead in the second as Marc Giacalone drew a leadoff walk before Cole Stetzar hit his third home run of the season.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Mike Magnanti and Ryan MacCarrick hit consecutive RBI doubles to give the Bonnies a 3-2 lead after two.
The Hawks went ahead to stay in the top of the fifth. Matt Cuppari led off with a single before Matt Maul walked to put wo on with one out. Two batters later, Charlie Concannon's double to left center brought home both runners and put the Hawks ahead, 4-3.
The Bonnies put runners on in both the fifth and sixth innings, but Tim Brennan and Ryan Devine, respectively, were able to get out of both innings unscathed. Devine picked Sam Fuller off of first base to end the sixth for what would be the game's final official out.
Brennan allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits while striking out four and walking none in five innings. He earned the win to improve to 5-2 on the season. Brandon Schlimm took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while fanning six. He fell to 0-5.
Devine notched his second save of the season with a scoreless inning of relief.
Saint Joseph's is scheduled for a home-and-home series with Villanova beginning Tuesday. The Hawks will visit the Wildcats on Tuesday afternoon, with the return game at Smithson Field on Wednesday.
