Big Bats Complete Comeback Win

Saturday, May 3

7 pm

University at Buffalo

21-17, 12-7

Ohio

9-33, 4-15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Buffalo	0	1	2	1	2	0	2	2	0	10	14	3
Ohio University	3	2	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	7	10	1

5/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ATHENS, OH - Facing a 5-1 deficit after just the first two innings on the road against Ohio Saturday night, the UB baseball team (21-17, 12-7 MAC) would need to ditch the small ball in order to salvage a Sunday rubber game. It would do just that, using seven extra-base hits to come back and win 10-7 in a wild affair. Mike Kaelin would again be a factor out of the bullpen to earn the win, and five different UB batters would have multi-hit games.

Just a day removed from combining to go 1-16 in the 4-3 Friday loss, Buffalo's five through nine hitters would go 9-20 and fueled the comeback.

The Bobcats (9-33, 4-15 MAC) ran off three runs in the bottom of the first, but UB answered in the top of the next inning with an RBI single from Vinny Mallaro to score Tyler Mautner, who led off the inning with a double. The home side would take its biggest lead of the game after the bottom of the second, but the UB offense remained hot.

In the top of the third, two walks and a hit batter would load the bases for UB with two outs. Mike Scarcello would capitalize with a single through the right side that plated a pair and made it a 5-3 game. The two-out charm would continue through the fourth, when Matt Pollock hit an infield single to third that scored Brian Dudek and cut the lead to one. Ohio nearly broke the game open in the bottom half, loading the bases with no outs, but the Bulls would get a strikeout and then turned a 6-3 double play to end what could've been a game-changer.

The Bulls would take its first lead of the game in the fifth, albeit a short one, after Scarcello hit a one-out solo home run and Dudek would pick up an RBI on a ground out that scored Thomas Richards, who reached in the previous at-bat with a triple to center field. The Bobcats would tie the game back up in the fifth, and chased UB starter Anthony Magovney from the game, after putting two runners on with two outs. Kaelin would enter in relief and allowed the tying run to score, but stranded three to avoid another opportunity for Ohio.

The lead would see-saw back to the home side in the sixth, when Ohio would manage its lone run off Kaelin to make it 7-6, Ohio. In a game with three lead changes and a pair of ties, the Bulls would take the lead back for good after using the long ball again in the seventh.

Mallaro pulled a first-pitch home run to left to lead off the seventh inning and tie the game, and Scarcello and Richards would reach base on an error and infield single, respectively, with still no outs. Kyle Brennan would score Scarcello on a sacrifice fly to center that moved both runners, but UB could manage nothing more and settled for an 8-7 lead after seven full innings.

Richards would break the game open and give Kaelin some breathing room at last in the eighth. Pollock led off with a double, then after two straight outs held him at second, Scarcello would draw the walk. Richards then lined a 2-2 pitch to the right center gap that scored both and provided the final tally of 10-7.

After providing big innings for the team in the previous weekend's series against Akron, Kaelin would again be key for UB. The redshirt freshman would go 3.2 innings and allowed just a long run while striking out four. He would earn his fourth win of the season, and was lifted with two runners on and one out in the ninth. Cory Folk would pick up his fourth save of the season with two quick outs to seal the win.

Mike Burke will take the mound tomorrow for the series finale, looking to snap a personal cold streak. Game time at Bob Wren Stadium is scheduled for 1 pm.