By Nick Konotopskyj
Assistant Sports Editor
After back-to-back wins to cap off March, the softball team started April on a bad note. The Bonnies dropped both games of the doubleheader April 4 against the La Salle Explorers by scores of 6-2 and 10-5.
The losses drop the Bonnies to 6-14 overall (2-5 in conference play), putting them in eighth place in the Atlantic 10.
“Nothing went right,” Coach Mike Threehouse said. “We didn’t play well enough, and La Salle did. If we play better softball and we take care of what we need to take care of, then we will be successful.”
Once again, the Bonnies found themselves behind early in both games. In the first game, the Explorers managed to put up a four-run third inning and then followed it up with a two-run fourth inning. That six-run deficit proved to be too much in the end for the Brown and White.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Bonnies fell behind 3-0 going into the bottom of the third. The team cut La Salle’s lead to one run, but eventually gave up seven more runs over the final three innings of play.
The Bonnies were supposed to start their home schedule on Wednesday against out-of-conference foe Robert Morris, but both of the scheduled games were postponed. Instead, they will start the home slate against George Mason tomorrow.
“It is always fun because you have your home crowd down there and get that home-field advantage,” Threehouse said. “Coming home, you still have to play well. We have an opportunity against George Mason, which is a team we need to be successful against in order to be successful in the A-10.”
George Mason comes into this matchup 5-4 in A-10 play, two games ahead of the Bonnies. With a three-game series scheduled for this weekend, the Bonnies have a chance to make a jump in the conference and get into the middle of the pack.
“It is a big weekend for us, there is no way to hide it,” Threehouse said. “Every game is an important game, especially when you play in the Atlantic 10. We need to pitch well and get some quality innings from all of our pitchers.”
The Bonnies pitching staff has an earned run average of 4.69 on the season, and they are led by freshman Josie Borysevicz, who has pitched in over half of the team’s innings on the season.
The biggest problem for the Bonnies lately has been their struggling offense. They have been lacking the timely hits necessary to knock in runs, according to Threehouse.
“It is not how many hits you get, it is when you get them,” Threehouse said. “We just haven’t been getting enough of them when we needed to. If we can get some clutch hits in some big moments, then we have an opportunity to be successful.”
Being able to play in front of a home crowd for the first time all season will be a huge plus for a team that has been up and down in the last few weeks. Whether the change in scenery translates to wins on the diamond remains to be seen.
