Bowling Green
Bulls Edged by Bowling Green in Season Finale, 9-8
5/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
OWLING GREEN, OH - The University at Buffalo baseball team concluded the regular season by dropping its Mid-American Conference series finale to Bowling Green, 9-8, on Saturday afternoon at Warren Steller Field. After the Bulls tied the contest at 8-8 in the top of the ninth, the Falcons captured the victory with a leadoff home run.
With the score tied at 6-6, Bowling Green recaptured the lead in the bottom of the eighth for an 8-6 edge.
For the second time in the contest, the Bulls were forced to rally from a two-run deficit as they tied the contest at 8-8 in the top of the ninth. Buffalo pulled within one on a passed ball, allowing senior designated hitter Bobby Pizzuto to score from third.
On the next pitch, senior center fielder Adam Skonieczki shot an RBI single up the middle, driving in pinch runner Jason Kanzler from second base to tie the contest at 8-8.
Leading off in the bottom of the ninth, third baseman Derek Spencer hit a walk-off home run to capture the victory for Bowling Green, 9-8, sweeping the Bulls in the three-game series.
Buffalo would tally the opening run of the contest for the eighth consecutive time, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first off a sacrifice fly by Skonieczki.
In the bottom half of the opening inning, Bowling Green captured a 4-1 lead, erasing the Bulls' advantage.
The top of the seventh marked the first time the Bulls would face a two-run deficit as they trailed the Falcons, 5-3. In the inning, UB tallied three runs to take a 6-5 lead.
Senior second baseman Brad Agustin began the Bulls' rally, crushing the team's 14th leadoff home run to start an inning this season. The solo shot to right was the 20th of his career and team-leading eighth this season, moving him into a tie for sixth place on the school single-season list.
Buffalo captured the lead for the first time since scoring the contest's opening run in the top of the first. Off the first pitch by Bowling Green reliever Ross Gerdeman, senior third baseman Brad Cochrane belted a two-run shot over the right-field wall, scoring Pizzuto, who singled to reach base.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons tied the contest at 6-6 off a solo shot by left fielder Dennis Vaughn.
Junior reliever Jeff Thompson (2-3) suffered the loss in 1.2 innings, striking out a pair of Falcons.
Pizzuto went 4-for-5 with a team-high three runs scored. Cochrane, freshman catcher Tom Murphy and junior left fielder David Neff each collected a pair of hits.
Agustin finishes his career with 355 total bases, tying Joe Mihalics for the top spot in school history.
The Bulls (23-29, 9-18 MAC) finish the regular season breaking numerous records marked by both individual and team achievements. The Bulls' 23 wins marks the most since the program's reinstatement in 2000.
