Offense Quiets as Ball State Evens Series

Saturday, March 29

1 pm

University at Buffalo

11-9, 3-2

Ball State

18-9, 4-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Ball State	0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	5	9	0
Buffalo	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	2

Offense Quiets as Ball State Evens Series

3/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ROCHESTER, NY - After a wild opening game to the weekend series wrapped up just 30 minutes earlier, Ball State turned to returning All-American pitcher Scott Baker to help get them back on track at Monroe Community College Saturday afternoon. He would do just that, pitching a complete game and limiting the Buffalo offense to just four hits in a 4-2 game.

Mike Burke toed the rubber in game two after closing out the first game with two innings of relief and the game-winning base hit. He was strong in his first two innings, setting down all six batters in order, but ran into trouble in the third and fourth. The Cardinals would plate a pair of runs in each of the innings to give Baker an early cushion.

The UB offense was able to strike early against the 2013 MAC Pitcher of the Year, recording three of its four hits in the third inning to plate two runs. Tanner Robinson led off with a single, and Chris Kwitzer would draw a walk with still no outs. A sacrifice bunt from Mike Scarcello put them both into scoring position, and after the top of the lineup rolled around both runners would come home on RBI singles by Jimmy Topps and Nick Sinay.

Baker rallied from that bump, and after his offense gave him back the lead in the very next inning, he settled down and retired 17 of the next 18 batters to close out the game. Mautner would hit a two-out double in the sixth, and he would be the only UB hitter to reach after scoring those two runs in the third.

Burke would be the hard-luck loser in his second decision of the afternoon. Anthony Magovney, who was originally scheduled to start, was outstanding in relief. He came on in the fifth and would allow three hits and a walk over five innings, allowing just an unearned run in the top of the ninth.

The series is scheduled to end tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm, though weather forecasts call for 6-10 inches of snow overnight in Rochester. Stay tuned to @UBAthletics and UBBulls.com for up-to-the-minute updates.