Bulls Drop MAC Opener to NIU
3/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CHICAGO, IL - The UB baseball team played its first Mid-American Conference game of the season Friday night, taking on Northern Illinois (3-15-1, 1-0 MAC). The Bulls (8-7, 0-1 MAC) fell behind big early, and a pair of comeback attempts were thwarted by the NIU offense in a 15-9 loss. Mike Burke led the team with three hits that included a solo home run.
Tyler Mautner helped the Bulls score the first run of the game thanks to a home run to lead off the top of the seventh, but the Huskies would reel off seven unanswered runs that included three in the fourth inning despite the home side recording just one hit. Burke's lead-off home run in the fifth would break the scoreless streak, and three runs in the sixth off erratic pitching would tighten the game up momentarily, 7-5.
Northern would score four more runs in the home half of the sixth, but the UB offense would not relent. In the seventh Mautner would hit a sacrifice fly, and in the eighth Vinny Mallaro and Tanner Robinson would hit doubles that would spark a three-run inning and put the Bulls back into striking range. That would again be stifled by the Huskies, who would promptly load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth and ultimately bring in four to shut the door in the 15-9 final.
Mike McGee took the loss for Buffalo after allowing seven runs (four earned) over three innings. Ben Hartz would also allow seven runs in his four innings out of the bullpen, and Tyler Wilson would allow a run in his lone inning. Both offenses would take advantage of off nights from the pitching staffs, with both sides recording more runs than hits and drawing eight walks.
Burke would be the only Bull with multiple hits, but Mautner, Robinson and Matt Pollock each had two runs batted in.
The weekend series continues tomorrow at Chicago State, with first pitch scheduled for 6 pm eastern.
