Bulls Lose Late, Fall at East Carolina

Wednesday, March 16

6 pm

2-11

East Caro.

13-4

Buffalo

East Carolina

Bulls Lose Late, Fall at East Carolina

3/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

GREENVILLE, NC - Playing in its second game in as many days, the Buffalo baseball team lost its second straight due to late-inning offense from the opposition. This time it was host East Carolina, who scored five times in the final two innings to take an 8-3 win Wednesday evening.

The Bulls traded off runs with the Pirates, allowing a run in the first and third while plating a run in the top of the second inning on a two-out single to right center field from Michael Scarcello that was helped along by two fielding errors. The 2-1 lead by ECU carried in to the fifth inning, where both team added a single run each to make it 3-2. Jason Kanzler reached after being hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. A bunt by Matt Pollock moved him to second base and Daniel Scahill drove him home with a single to right center field.

Starting pitcher Michael Burke did his part to keep the team in contention throughout his 5.1 innings, but he handed the ball over to senior reliever Jesse Reinstein with a runner on in the sixth, a jam that Reinstein easily handled. In the seventh, Buffalo tied it all up at 3-3 thanks to a single by Alex Baldock that scored Pollock from third.

The Pirates responded immediately though, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh and three more in the eighth to put the game out of reach. The Bulls have allowed eight runs total in the eighth inning of the past two games, leading to the two heartbreaking losses.

Next up will be a three-game weekend series in-state against North Carolina Central. The series will run Friday through Sunday. First pitch Friday is 3 pm.