Bonnies Play George Washington In Senior Day Doubleheader
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - The St. Bonaventure softball team (17-19, 6-8 Atlantic 10) will host conference rival George Washington (19-27, 8-8 A-10) in a Noon Saturday twinbill at McGraw-Jennings Field. The doubleheader will be the final home games of the season and marks the end of the careers of five Bonnies -- Ashley Nowak, Diana Phalon, Brittany Storch, Brooke Frey and Kristin Sullivan.
Senior Day ceremonies honoring the quintet will occur after the completion of both games.
The Bonnies, eighth in the conference, enter Saturday on a two-game winning streak after sweeping La Salle last weekend. Scheduled games at Little Three rivals Buffalo and Niagara and a make up contest against Youngstown State were canceled this week due to wintry weather.
Through 36 games, sophomore shortstop Ashley Snider leads the team with a .346 batting average, 37 hits and six home runs. Frey's 21 runs scored and seven doubles pace the Brown and White.
The Colonies, fifth in the A-10, travel to St. Bonaventure after winning four of their last five games, the most recent victory via a 7-3 decision against George Mason Wednesday.
Freshman infielder Victoria Valos leads the Colonials with a .324 batting average on 46 hits. Senior outfielder Lauren Wilson has 36 runs scored (leads team) and nine home runs (tied for team lead) this season. Sophomore outfielder Chelsea Lenhart and junior outfielder Autumn Taylor have hit 10 and 11 doubles, respectively.
Last season, the Bonnies lost a doubleheader at George Washington by scores of 5-4 and 6-3. The Bonnies have dropped the last three meetings with the Colonials.
Following Saturday's doubleheader, the Bonnies will travel to Binghamton on Tuesday for the final non-conference games of the season. The doubleheader with the Bearcats begins at 3 p.m.
Below is a look at the five Bonaventure seniors and their contributions to the softball program over their respective careers:
No. 23 Brooke Frey: The New Paltz, N.Y. native has played and started in all 35 games this season ... second on the team with a .320 batting average, 48 total bases, 32 hits, 14 RBI, three home runs ... leads the Bonnies with 21 runs scored and seven doubles this season ... recorded two, three-hit games this season vs. Mount St. Mary's (Feb. 29) and at Dayton (March 24) ... has 11 multi-hit games this year ... as a junior, she was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team ... in her four years as a Bonnie, Frey has a .311 batting average, 18 home runs, 26 doubles, 71 RBI, 74 runs scored, 112 hits and 194 total bases ... named to the College Sports Madness Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Team.
No. 32 Kristin Sullivan: Sullivan, a product of Lancaster, N.Y., has played in 19 games this season, starting one ... for her career she has played in 100 games, starting 65 ... has scored 23 runs and recorded four RBI, 33 hits and 33 total bases in her career ... started against nationally-ranked Ohio State (March 18), recording three at-bats ... 16-for-20 in stolen base attempts, succcessful on every try but one since her sophomore season ... recorded a career-high 17 hits and eight stolen bases during her sophomore year.
No. 6 Diana Phalon: Phalon, a Smethport, Pa. product, has made 19 appearances on the mound this season, making 14 starts ... has a 6-10 record, a 3.70 ERA and eight complete games in 92.2 innings pitched, striking out 41 batters this season ... has 11 career wins after becoming primarily a pitcher last season ... owns a 4.57 ERA, 29 starts, 17 complete games and 87 strikeouts in her career ... struck out eight batters and allowed two earned runs against Detroit (Feb. 10) ... has recorded five multi-strikeout games this campaign.
No. 12 Brittany Storch: Storch, an Elmira Heights, N.Y. native, played and started in all 35 games this season ... just last weekend hit her first career home run to help SBU sweep at La Salle ... on the year she has three doubles, eight runs scored, nine RBI, 11 hits and 17 total bases ... played in 77 games in her career, starting 57 ... career totals: five doubles, 12 RBI, 15 runs scored, 19 hits and 27 total bases ... recorded two RBI against Mount St. Mary's (Feb. 24) and picked up two hits at Dayton (March 24).
No. 2 Ashley Nowak: Nowak, a Hamlin, N.Y. native, has played in 24 games this season, starting 14 ... has a .227 batting average, three doubles, four RBI, five runs scored, 13 total bases and 10 hits in 2012 ... career totals: .215 batting average, a home run, 14 doubles, 25 runs scored, 29 RBI, 53 hits and 70 total bases ... perhaps the biggest hit of her career came during her freshman year as she drove in the game-winning run in the 12th inning to clinch a spot in the A-10 Championships ... she recorded two, two-hit games this season at North Florida (March 2) and La Salle (April 21) ... in her junior season, she had a career-high 16 hits and 10 RBI ... played in 105 games, starting 80 during her career.
