Toledo Wins Shootout in Tournament Opener

Wednesday, May 22

4 pm

University at Buffalo

32-23-0

Toledo

23-31-0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Toledo	0	1	2	1	0	1	3	2	2	12	17	0
Buffalo	2	3	0	0	0	3	0	2	0	10	16	1

Toledo Wins Shootout in Tournament Opener

5/22/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

AVON, OH - The Bulls dropped the opening game of its 2013 Mid-American Conference tournament Wednesday afternoon, losing 12-10 to Toledo (23-31). It was a shootout, with all nine starters recording at least one hit for each team and a combined 33 hits overall. The Bulls (32-23) will now play Northern Illinois at 9 am in an elimination game tomorrow.

Facing All-MAC pitcher Ryan Wilkinson, the Buffalo offense came out aggressive against the command-oriented lefty, with Jimmy Topps and Alex Baldock reaching on singles to put a pair of runners on with just one out in the top of the first. Tyler Mautner remained hot at the plate on the heels of being named the MAC East Player of the Week, scoring Topps with his 22nd double of the season. That breaks Brad Cochrane's single-season record of 21 doubles. Kyle Figgins would score Baldock on a sacrifice fly to give UB an early 2-0 lead.

After Toledo cut the lead to 2-1, Buffalo scored three more runs in the bottom of the second. Thomas Richards and Mike Burke led off with singles, and Topps would score them both on a triple to right field. He would come home immediately on a perfect bunt from Kanzler, who pushed it just past the pitcher to reach with the RBI single and a 5-1 game. Toledo would come back with four unanswered runs from the third to the top of the sixth to tie the game back up.

In the bottom of the sixth, Burke led off with a ground-rule double, and Mike Scarcello followed with a single deep into the hole at shortstop. After a sacrifice bunt to move them both over, Toledo elected to walk Kanzler and face Baldock. The senior would make them pay, doubling down the left field line to score two runs. Mautner would score Kanzler easily on a deep sacrifice fly for an 8-5 advantage.

The Buffalo pitching staff was simply unable to shut down Toledo's offense, which came into the tournament with the conference's best team batting average. The Rockets would score at least one run from the sixth inning on, with three in the seventh, and two in the eighth and ninth.

After the Rockets took its first lead of the game with a 10-8 advantage in the top of the eighth, the Bulls were able to rally back behind Player of the Year honoree Kanzler. Following a two-out single from Topps, Kanzler hit a no-doubt home run to straight on left field that caromed off the light post to tie the game back up. Toledo came right back in the top of the ninth to put the game away, with two runs off River McWilliams.

Anthony Magovney got the start for UB and threw four innings. Ben Hartz threw 2.2 innings and allowed three runs, while McWilliams took the loss after allowing four runs in 2.1 innings.

Mike Burke will likely get the start for the team tomorrow, as the Bulls now will face a win-or-go-home scenario for the remainder of the tournament. Live audio will again be available through BuffaloBulls.com.