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SATURDAY MARCH 31, 2012
@ST. BONAVENTURE UNIVERSITY
12:00pm and 2:00pm
HOME OPENER!

SBU vs Dayton

Our first trip started with a ride on the new "BONA BUS." The bus was donated by a booster and boasts leather seats for 27, 8 televisions, a working kitchen and a bathroom. I was a bit concerned how we would all fit but it seemed to work out well. The back of the bus is very spacious so players had enough room to even sprawl out on the floor if they wanted. If you asked the players the only bad part was that the front of the bus had to watch what Coach Threehouse wanted, seeing we have DirecTV playing on the televisions. The back has their own hook up so the were not really watching Sportcenter and Spring Baseball for 7 full hours. :)

We stepped out on the field with a good feeling. Coach Randall and Coach Halladay both stated that they thought we would play well. Being the Head Coach...you always want to believe that but I am a process guy, meaning that I know "playing well" means a lot of things need to happen...and they did! Jen Sansano had full control of game 1 and tossed a 5 hit shutout. She got her support from an opposite field homerun from junior Hali Enderby who has been, in my opinion one of the best centerfielders I have seen all year.

Game two was a different tale but the Bonnies never cease to amaze me with their tenacity. I decided to throw Sansano again but Dayton made adjustments and by the time we got out of the first inning we were down 4-0. That did not even phase this team one bit. The Bonnies answered with 3 runs in the 2nd and before you know it, we were in for a great game. Senior Diana Phalon took the ball and shut down the Flyers till we could get the lead back. Brooke Frey did the rest at the plate with a little help from her friends. Brooke went 3-3 with 2 homeruns and 2 intentional walks. The second of those walks gave junior Captain, Jessenia Andujar her chance. Lacing a double to right in the 8th put the Bonnies in the lead for good and Diana not only pitched the final three outs but picked a hard hit ball off the ground to throw out Dayton's hottest hitter of the day.

You have to admire the effort of the day. We have a lot to work on and a looooong way to go and we will have some ups and downs but this team learned that all it takes is patience, confidence and some fortitude to play this game at this level. We took a good step this weekend and I am looking forward to the practice week ahead to prepare for St. Louis who comes into town on March 31st. I hope to see all of you there! GO BONAS!

Bonnies sweep first A10 series...

With wins of 4-0 and 8-6, the Bonnies are 2-0 on the young A10 season. More to follow soon...

NEXT UP...

Tennessee State Tournament Review

All-Tournament Team:

Jen Sansano (P)

Christine Watson (1B)

We traveled to Tennessee State in Nashville, TN for our final tournament of the year before our Atlantic 10 slate starts. We have seen a lot of highway between our destinations and SBU but the team has held up well. A 10-10 start is one of the best we have had in recent memory and with a little better play at times we could have 5 more wins. I am excited about the rest of the year.

Our wins came against Tennessee State and Belmont while the losses came against Mercer and Ohio State. Jen Sansano was stellar all the weekend and that is a positive sign of things to come for her. We still need to play better defense behind her and that will be the concentration all week long in practice. If we secure the defense we will be very tough to beat. The heat gets turned up this weekend as we hit the road for a trip to Dayton for our first A10 games of the season!!

Through a Soldier's Eyes...

Senior Diana Phalon hosted a Senior Capstone project in the Regina Quick Fine Arts Center on the campus of St. Bonaventure. A wonderful project documenting World War II through a soldier's eyes. The team showed up to support her. Great job, Diana!

Supporting the other teams at SBU...

Jessenia Andujar, Jill Murphy, Katherine Caboot and Sam Ward celebrate the Men's Basketball Atlantic 10 Championship. Great Picture! Now I will be looking for that kind of passion on the softball field!!! GO BONAS!!!!

ST. Bonaventure University

I need to point something out...the SBU women's soccer team made it to their 4th straight A10 championship this year, while the men's swim team grabbed their 6th straight silver medal, coupled with a run by women's basketball that has the whole nation talking and now with an A10 CHAMPIONSHIP trophy being brought home by the men, the rich tradition that is SBU athletics has been and continues to be not only one of the greatest representations of St. Bonaventure University but a tribute to all those who have played, coached, worked in administration and who has ever supported SBU athletics. WE are ALL....THE ST. BONAVENTURE UNIVERSITY. Stand proud Alumni!

NEXT UP...TENNESSEE STATE TOURNAMENT

Post Florida Trip...

The Bonnies are back in Olean and after a few days to recharge the batteries. I am looking forward to working on just a few things that we need to focus on to move us forward. We have hit a few bumps...some soreness and a loss to the Bona extended family always stirs emotions but I know the ladies will rebound and be ready to go heading into the Tennessee State Tournament next weekend.

As for the Florida trip. Returning with a 7-5 record is the best record a Bonnies team has come home with over the extended break. It is not easy being away for so long and playing so many games in such a short time but the team responded well and with a little more experience, we will turn the close losses into wins.

Winning the Stetson Hatter Classic started the trip out right. The pitching staff was tremendous and Captain Catcher Brooke Frey handled the pitchers masterfully, over that stretch. A pitcher can't throw a shutout without a good catcher behind the plate and the combination of Jen Sansano, Diana Phalon and Brooke Frey threw 3 straight shutouts to start the tournament.

We then faced Mount St. Mary's in a weekday doubleheader and came out with a split. Facing a hard throwing pitcher from The Mount we learned that you can't fall behind in the count or bad things will happen. We rebounded from a 7-0 shutout to a 4-3 win in the night cap.

We went into the North Florida Tournament looking to keep up the winning. McNeese State proved to be a strong opponent but we had our chances against them in 2-0 and 3-0 losses. With a little timely hitting, we would have changed the outcome of both games. Jen Sansano was at her best when she tossed her first career no-hit game in a 6-0 win verses Mount St. Mary's. Brooke Frey called a masterful game and Jen was solid all night long. A loss to Delaware State in the early morning was frustrating but they are a quality team who is favored to win the MEAC this year. Our big win came in a 4-3 score against North Florida. It was our biggest non-conference win in some time. The Bonnies put up a 4 spot in the 5th with big hits from Hali Enderby, Ashley Snider and a big two out hit from sophomore Christine Watson. Diana Phalon did the rest, allowing only 3 runs on 11 hits.

All in all...the Florida trip was very successful and has set us up nice for our next trip. The Bonnies head to Nashville Tennessee to take on Tennessee State, Belmont, Mercer and Ohio State. A good showing there will set us for our Atlantic 10 run that starts in Dayton the following weekend. Until then...one game at a time...one play at a time...one pitch at a time. Practice resumes today! GO BONAS!

Unfortunate Changes to this Blog...

Unfortunately I am no longer allowing for comments on this blog. In today's world it is easy to hide behind a computer and be negative and degrading to others while no one knows who you are. Comments were left on the blog recently that upset many of our players. These comments were VERY insensitive to a couple other players seeing what they were going through personally at the time and I am taking steps to protect them from that kind of talk.

I welcome all of you to keep reading up on the Bonnies. This year's team has a chance to be very special and our 8-8 start is the best start we have had in years. Our next tournament is in Nashville Tennessee and we are looking forward to the practice week ahead to prepare for a successful trip. Look for our Florida trip recap coming soon and a look ahead to the Tennessee State Tournament! GO BONAS!!

Day 1 of the Osprey Invitational

We had two games today...Game 1 verses McNeese State was an opportunity lost as senior pitcher Diana Phalon allowed only three hits and 1 earned run over 7 innings of work but we were only able to muster three hits of our own and were shutout 2-0. A couple errors cost us a chance to beat a quality team but it showed us once again that we can play with any team on the schedule.

Game 2 was a rematch verses Mount St. Mary's. Diana Phalon threw a great game verses McNeese State and Jen Sansano followed with a gem of her own. A 6-0 NO-HITTER !! It was Jen's first career no-hitter at the Division I level. Senior catcher, Brooke Frey called every pitch and also knocked in our first two runs of the day with a 2-run double.

Jen and Diana have been fantastic and are getting better and better every day. They are turning into a fantastic 1-2 punch...no matter what the order of the 1-2!

Stats:

Phalon 2.53 ERA, 1 Shutout, 14 Earned Runs in 38.2 innings with 21 strikeouts and only 2 extra base hits allowed. A double and homerun. .256 batting average against.

Sansano 3.00 ERA 3 Shutous, 17 Earned runs in 39.2 innings with 27 strikeouts and 6 extra base hits allowed. 3 doubles and 3 homeruns. .224 batting average against.

It was definately a day for the pitchers! Great job, ladies!

UP NEXT - OSPREY INVITATIONAL

The NCAA at its best!

The Bonnies and The Mount wore pink shirts, wrist bands, ribbons and shoe laces to honor and remember all of those stricken with breast cancer and cancer of all forms. Junior Captain Jessenia Andujar rallied the team to surprise our manager Sam Ward who lost her mom a year ago today to breast cancer. Sam did not know we would be wearing pink till I walked her to the dugout before the game.

It was a wonderful gester by both teams and I am proud of both teams for their caring and sportsmanship. A special thank you goes out to Coach Anna Nagro from Mount St. Mary's who helped make the day a special one for all of us who were involved.

Recap of Mount St. Mary's Doubleheader...

Game 1 Loss 7-0

Game 2 Win 4-3

The Bonnies split a double dip with The Mount on Wednesday night at North Florida. We mustered only 3 hits against the best pitcher we have seen this season. There were some highlights as Kelli Rohan continued to terrorize defenses and had two of the three hits.

Game two was much more Bonnies style softball with key hits and a well pitched game from Jen Sansano who ran her record to 3-2 on the young season. Senior Brooke Frey went 3-3 while Rohan added two more hits and Ashley Snider added two of her own. Solid defense anchored the day and we came away with a split.

We still have lessons to learn. We are real good at winning but we have to stop getting sad and get MAD when we are losing. Attitude is usualy the only thing that will help you dig yourself out of a hole. You just have to be willing to buckle down and do whatever it takes to get it done. The most important is not letting yourself think about the result...concentrate on the process and good things will happen. We are getting better and better every day.