UB Bullpen Shines in Win Over Towson

Tuesday, March 13

3 pm

University at Buffalo

5-6

Towson

6-8

Buffalo

Towson Univ.

UB Bullpen Shines in Win Over Towson

3/13/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

TOWSON, MD - Led by a strong outing from freshman reliever Anthony Magovney, the Buffalo baseball team overcame an early lead from the Towson Tigers and held them off late, winning 8-6 Tuesday afternoon. Matt Pollock hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and senior Kevin Crumb nailed down the team's first save of the season. The win was the team's fifth in the past six games, and it was the first home loss of the season for Towson (6-8).

The Tigers pounced early on starter Jeff Thompson, scoring six runs in the first two innings to chase the UB senior. The Bulls scored a run in the top of the second on a bases-loaded fielder's choice on a hit by River McWilliams. Trailing 6-1, the team inserted Magovney and stifled the home team, giving up only four hits over the final seven innings of play to allow the Buffalo offense to do what it does best - score.

A pair of walks in the third inning to Pollock and Tom Murphy set up a one-out, opposite-field double from Dan Scahill that would plate Pollock and put two runners in scoring position. A sacrifice fly from Mike Burke would bring in Murphy, and freshman Tyler Mautner hit a two-out single up the middle to bring the score to 6-4. The Bulls would knot up the score in the fourth, after Jason Kanzler was driven in by a Murphy double down the left field line and Scahill converted a RBI single that would tie the game 6-6.

With Thompson off the hook, Magovney settled in and was commanding through his six innings of work. He allowed only three hits and struck out one, even setting down the Tigers in order in the seventh and eighth innings to end his career day on a high note.

He would leave with an opportunity to take his first career win, thanks to a two-run home run by Pollock in the eighth inning. Ryan Tulloch led the inning off with a single to right field, and he was bunted over to second by Jon Mestas as the team aimed to manufacture the go-ahead run. They wouldn't need to wait long for that run to come, as Pollock stepped up right after and hit the ball down the left field line and over the wall to give the Bulls the lead. In his first opportunity of the season, Crumb nailed down the save.

Scahill finished the day with four hits and two RBI, pushing his season batting average back to .400 and extending his hit streak to 16 games (dating back to last season). Burke hit a pair of doubles and Mautner had his third multi-hit game of the season. Next up for Buffalo will be a 6:30 pm game tomorrow against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (2-9).