Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com
BY: AIDAN SHINNERS; STAFF WRITER
On Mar. 14, the St. Bonaventure softball team swept a doubleheader against Rhode Island University winning 5-1 and 7-3.
The victories were first-year head coach Camden Decker’s first at Bonaventure. Junior outfielder Sydney DeGram said those victories represent a fresh start for the program.
“Being part of coach Decker’s first win at Bonaventure means a lot because it represents the start of something new for our program,” DeGram said. “The wins were rewarding to set the tone and build confidence early on in conference play.”
Junior pitcher and utility player Kendall Stull said the two wins show the program is moving in the right direction under coach Decker.
“That first win is really meaningful because it felt like a big step forward for the program,” said Stull. “Everyone is buying into the new system and culture, so getting that first win together showed that we’re moving in the right direction.”
The Bonnies had a difficult non-conference schedule, headlined by the reigning national champions, No. 3 Texas Longhorns. Despite losing that game 12-2, Stull said there was a lot to take away from playing a team like Texas.
“Facing competition like Texas was really good for us because it showed us what a high-level of competition looks like, preparing us for conference play,” Stull said. “It helped us learn to stay composed under pressure and clean up all the small mistakes that can make a big difference.”
DeGram mentioned games against power four opponents including Texas, Houston and Purdue as games that showed her what the team was truly capable of. Bonaventure lost to Houston 3-1 and to the Boilermakers 5-0.
“Playing these teams showed us the level of competition we’re truly capable of competing against,” said DeGram. “Those games challenged us, but they also helped us grow and prepare for conference play.”
As for Atlantic 10 play, DeGram and Stull expect the Bonnies to keep getting better and finish the season in a good position.
“Our expectations are to keep improving and compete at a high level consistently,” said DeGram. “We want to continue building on what we’ve learned so far and put ourselves in a strong position through the remainder of conference play.”
“Our expectations are to keep improving every game and continue building off what we’ve started,” said Stull. “We want to stay competitive in conference play and put ourselves in a good position by the end of the season.”
Bonaventure hosts Canisius for a midweek doubleheader on April 1 before continuing its A-10 slate with a three-game set at home against George Mason on April 3 and 4.
