Kent State
Bulls Drop Pair to Kent State in Conference Doubleheader
4/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo baseball team dropped both contests in its conference doubleheader to Kent State on Saturday afternoon at Amherst Audubon Field. The Golden Flashes rallied to take game one, 16-8, and were victorious in the nightcap, 8-4.
In the opening contest, Buffalo jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Senior shortstop Jacob Rosenbeck opened the Bulls' scoring by popping a shot into left center, scoring senior center fielderAdam Skonieczki, who recorded the Bulls' first hit of the afternoon. With two outs, freshman catcher Tom Murphy belted the same shot to left center, driving in Rosenbeck to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead.
Senior second baseman Brad Agustin kept the runs coming in off a double through the left side, driving in Murphy. Once again, the Bulls continued their attack on the gap in left center with another double as senior left fielder Bobby Pizzuto drove in Agustin with another RBI double, extending UB's lead to 4-0 off five hits including four doubles in the inning.
The Golden Flashes cut the Bulls' lead in half, 4-2, with a pair of runs in the top of the third including a home run by left fielder Anthony Gallas.
Despite UB holding a 5-2 lead through five complete innings, Kent State managed to capture the lead for the first time in game one with one swing of the bat. With the bases loaded, right fielder Ben Klafczynski drilled a grand slam just over the right field wall to give the Golden Flashes an 8-5 lead in the top of the sixth.
In the bottom of the seventh, junior right fielder David Neff found an opening in the left side to drive in a pair of runs off a base hit, pulling the Bulls within two, 9-7.
For the second time in the contest, Kent State would erupt for six runs, this time in the top of the eighth to extend its lead to 15-7.
In a last attempt in the bottom of the ninth, Neff drove in his third run of the game off another base hit, this time up the middle.
Starter Pierre Miville-Deschenes (3-5) received the loss in 5.2 innings of work, striking out four batters.
Skonieczki collected a team-high three hits and three runs. Agustin, senior designated hitter Charlie Kartstedt, Neff and Rosenbeck each had a pair of hits. Neff led the team with three RBIs.
In the nightcap, the Golden Flashes grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second and managed to sustain their lead for the duration of the contest en route to an 8-4 victory. Despite the loss, the Bulls did outhit the Golden Flashes, 11-10.
After Kent State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, Buffalo pulled within one in the bottom of the third, 2-1. Senior catcherBrad Cochrane belted an RBI base hit into right center, driving in Pizzuto for the Bulls' first run.
In the bottom of the sixth, Buffalo pulled within one off a pair runs, 4-3, after trailing 4-1. Neff started the Bulls' rally with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Skonieczki.
Starter Josh Edwards (0-4) recorded the loss in 4.0 innings of action.
Cochrane, Karstedt, Neff and Skonieczki tied for a team-high two hits.
For the afternoon, Skonieczki led the Bulls' offense as he went 5-for-8 with an RBI as Neff went 4-for-8 with a team-high four RBIs
Buffalo (18-20, 4-11 MAC) will travel to Le Moyne College for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, April 28 with the first pitch at 2:00 pm.
