Pollock Plays Hero in Second Straight Walk-Off

Saturday, April 12

1 pm

15-12, 6-4

Western Michigan

13-17, 4-7

Western Michigan

Buffalo

Pollock Plays Hero in Second Straight Walk-Off

4/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ROCHESTER, NY - Not 24 passed since Kyle Figgins drew a 3-2 walk to bring in the winning run, Matt Pollock stepped into the role and drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Bulls beat Western Michigan 5-4 to clinch the weekend Mid-American Conference series Saturday afternoon. Buffalo (15-12, 6-4 MAC) scored four unanswered runs in the final two innings for the win.

Trailing the Broncos (13-17, 4-7 MAC) by three runs heading into the bottom of the eighth, 4-1, but used small ball to even the score. After a leadoff walk by Mike Scarcello, Jimmy Topps and Nick Sinay would both reach base with perfect bunts down the third base line to load the bases with no outs. Pollock would break the inning open with a liner into left that would move the runners around and score Scarcello. After a sacrfifice fly from Tyler Mautner for the first out scored Topps, Vinny Mallaro would come on as a pinch hitter and slapped a 2-2 fastball to the opposite field that tied the game up 4-4. Mike Burke nearly put the team ahead, but his screaming liner was robbed by a terrific effort from the WMU third baseman.

The Bulls would settle for the three runs in the eighth, and after another quick inning of relief from Mike Kaelin, the offense would come up again with the chance to end it in the bottom of the ninth.

Scarcello got things started with a one-out infield single, and Topps would poke a double to left field that put the winning run just 90 feet away. Sinay would be put on with a walk, and Pollock would step into the box with his second at-bat with the bases loaded in as many innings. The senior would hit an 1-0 pitch that landed inches foul down the left field line. After a similar foul ball in almost the exact same area put him in a 1-2 hole, Pollock would straighten it out just enough to lift a soft liner down the line in left field to end it.

The offense had been frustrated for much of the game by Broncos starter Chad Mayle. Of the team's 12 hits in the game, seven would come in the final two innings and UB's lone run in the first seven innings was on an unearned run off a failed pickoff attempt.

Anthony Magovney would not factor into the decision for the team, but pitched a solid 6.2 innings on the day. He would be hurt by three earned runs in the sixth inning, but Kaelin's stellar relief effort would be key. The redshirt freshman would allow just two hits in 2.1 innings out of the 'pen, striking out a pair en route to earning his second win of the season and drop his earned run average to a miniscule 0.53.

The top of the lineup would drive the offense all game long, with the 1-2-3 hitters combining for six hits that included the two RBI singles from Pollock.

The series will come to a close tomorrow afternoon, with Mike Burke taking the ball in search of the team's first three-game conference weekend sweep since April 21 of last season. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.