Long Ball Gives Bulls Series-Opening Win
4/5/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ROCHESTER, NY - After hitting just one home run over the past nine game, the Buffalo baseball team broke out the big bats Friday afternoon at Monroe Community College in Rochester, beating Toledo (10-17, 3-4 MAC) 6-3 behind three home runs and a pair of doubles. Jason Kanzler was one of four UB hitters to have multi-hit games, Mike McGee earned his third straight win for the Bulls (15-12, 5-2 MAC), and River McWilliams set the program record for saves in a single season.
All three Buffalo home runs came from the lead-off hitters, starting with Tyler Mautner in the second inning. With the wind at his back, he crushed his second home run of the season over the wall in dead center to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead. In the third, Kyle Figgins drew the first of his three walks on the day to lead it off, and would later score on a double down the right field line by Jimmy Topps. He would be immediately converted by Kanzler, who went right back up the middle for the RBI single.
The lead would be extended to 4-0 in the fourth inning, as Jon Mestas led off with a solo home run to left center field, his third of the season. The Rockets would answer back with a run in the top of the fifth, but were unable to convert on a bases-loaded situation, as McGee induced a harmless pop up to the infield. Kanzler would immediately get the run back for the Bulls, homering to left center to lead off the home half of the fifth.
Toledo would make it a 5-3 game in the seventh inning, as they would chase McGee from the game after a single and a walk. After a double steal from the Rockets to bring the tying run to the plate, an RBI groundout got the visiting side within two, but the UB bullpen held them to just that. The Bulls would score the final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh, after Kanzler hit a double and was then driven in on a bloop single by Mautner.
McGee went 6.1 innings in the game, striking out four and allowing six hits and three runs (two earned). That marks his third straight quality start of the season. Ben Hartz pitched a perfect 1.2 innings as a bridge to McWilliams, who nailed down a stressful sixth save of the season to break a three-way tie for first place, with himself and Steve Geltz, and stake his own claim to the record.
The first two UT batters reached via an error and a single, but a foul out and a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with just one out to go. Matt Delewski, serving as the game-tying run in the batter's box, hit a screaming line drive right at McWilliams, who caught it casually for an abrupt ending to a dramatic inning and an important win for the Bulls.
"Guys were being aggressive early and we got a few good pitches that we could drive," head coach Ron Torgalski said. "We talk about answering offense with offense all the time. When they get a run, we want to get one back and take the momentum back. That happened today and it helped us get a big win. When there are guys on base, we've been making pitches and making plays behind them all year. We'll walk a guy, or they'll get a hit, but we've found a way to make plays defensively and make the right pitches to get out of those jams."
In an odd box score, all nine of Buffalo's hits in the game came from Topps, Kanzler, Mautner, and Mestas. Figgins' three walks in the game were the most since Mike Scarcello drew three in a game at Longwood on March 2.
The two teams will be back at it Saturday at noon, playing a doubleheader at MCC. Anthony Magovney will get the ball in game one, and Mike Burke will pitch game two.
