Ailing arms plague baseball team

Dennis Sherba and the Bonnies' pitching staff have allowed 137 total runs in 11 games.
Image courtesy of Sara RegalEven a six-run sixth inning couldn't overcome Niagara's 14 runs in the second half of the baseball team's doubleheader Wednesday afternoon. The Bonnies dropped both seven-inning games, 9-6 and 14-13.

"There were 14 innings we had to get (Niagara) out and in nine of those 14 innings they scored," coach Larry Sudbrook said. "In eight of those nine, they scored a crooked number. You can't win any baseball games doing that."

Both the first and second game saw the Bonnies' pitchers take the mound by committee.

Freshman lefthander Eddie Gray pitched the first two innings and gave up four runs on three hits. Senior Dennis Sherba earned the loss after allowing four runs in innings three through six. Junior Jamie Wallschlaeger and freshman Robert Nalepa split the seventh.

Sophomore Nick Brennan got the start in the second game and gave up six runs in just under three innings on the hill. Freshman Andrew Revello also gave up six runs and sophomore Jordan Crane gave up two before Wallschlaeger and senior Cory Sudbrook shut out the Purple Eagles in the final two innings.

"Our pitching has been atrocious," Sudbrook said. "It's God-awful right now. This is the third game out of 11 where we've scored 13 and lost. That can't happen."

The Bonnies scored 13 runs against Valparaiso March 2 and against Sacred Heart March 7. They lost the games 17-13 and 16-13 respectively.

The Bonnies are hitting .301 and have scored 91 runs as a team. Opponents are batting .380 against the team's pitching and have scored 137 runs in 11 games.

"If we don't start getting some people out, it's going to be a miserable and long season," Sudbrook said.

Sudbrook's pitching staff has sustained key injuries to senior team captain Brian Hardner and junior Cael Johnson. The latter started 12 games for the team last season and pitched a team-high 89.2 innings.

Sudbrook called Johnson's injury an elbow strain that could require a cortisone shot to aid the healing process.

"(Johnson) might not throw until Charlotte (March 26-28), and we don't know how effective he'll be at that point."

Sudbrook said the team is not struggling in generating offense. The team has five players hitting better than .300 with junior shortstop Jesse Bosnik batting .447 on 21 hits. Brennan hit two home runs in the second half of Wednesday's doubleheader, including a grand slam.

"One through seven, we've hit the baseball," Sudbrook said. "We're swinging the bat. Offense is not our problem. We are going to score some runs."

Sudbrook said the team's youth (at times fielding five freshmen) was not an excuse.

"The whole lineup is good," he said. "They're young and talented players, but we need to get some outs."

Bonaventure pitchers have a combined 11.95 ERA compared to their opponents' 6.61.

"We're just looking for some arms right now that can get people out and locate pitches," Sudbrook said.

The Bonnies returns to the diamond Wednesday to face Big 4 rival Canisius in Buffalo at 3 p.m. The teams split their season series 1-1 last year.

e-mail: sonnerjs@sbu.edu