Bulls Pitching Staff Shuts Down Dayton In Game 2; Salvages Split With Flyers

Monday, March 9

4 pm

University at Buffalo

2-6

Dayton

5-7

Buffalo

Dayton

Bulls Pitching Staff Shuts Down Dayton In Game 2; Salvages Split With Flyers

3/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

XENIA, OH – The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York baseball team (3-6, 0-0 MAC) earned a split on Monday in their doubleheader against the Dayton Flyers behind a dominant pitching performance in game two. The Bulls defeated Dayton 3-2 in the second game after just falling short, 9-7, in the first game of the day at Athletes in Action Field in Xenia, Ohio.

GAME 1 – BUFFALO 7, Dayton 9
In game one of the doubleheader, sophomore Brent Cleland looked good on the mound early on as he struck out the side swinging in the first and retired Dayton in order in the second. The Bulls were able to get on the board first in the third inning as Justin Gonzalez and Nick Sinay earned back-to-back walks and Brian Dudek ran out a bunt down the third base line for a single, loaded the bases. Freshman Bobby Sheppard then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Gonzalez for the opening run of the contest.

Dayton finally broke through in the third inning as they scored six runs off Cleland. The Flyers scored a pair of runs on a home run and a pair of runs on a triple while platting one on a single and one on a sac fly in the inning.

UB didn't allow the Flyers to run away with the game as Chris Kwitzer singled and then was brought home by Charlie Sobieraski's two-run homer to centerfield, making the score 6-3 in favor of Dayton. The home run for Sobieraski was the first of his career.

After a scoreless bottom half of the fourth the Bulls tied the game up in the fifth inning as Mike Abrunzo hit a three-run homer to left field, scoring Kwitzer and Sobieraski. The homer for Abrunzo was his team-leading second of the year, making the score 6-6 in the fifth.

Unfortunately for the Bulls, the Flyers came right back and scored three runs in the bottom half of the fifth as they were able to chase Cleland from the game. Buffalo made the game interesting in the seventh as they were trailing by three. Kwitzer singled and then advanced to second base on a passed ball before Edwards singled to center to plate Kwitzer for his season-best third run of the game, making the score 9-7 in favor of the Flyers.

After back-to-back walks to Gonzalez and Sinay, Dudek flew out to center with the bases loaded and the Bulls fell 9-7 to Dayton. Kwitzer finished the game going 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored while Abrunzo recorded a career-high three RBI's and Sobieraski finished with two RBI's and two runs. Dudek earned one hit in the contest extending his team-best hitting streak to four straight for the Bulls in the loss.

GAME 2 – BUFFALO 3, Dayton 2
After an offensive display in the first game of the afternoon, the UB pitching staff decided they had seen enough and they took the matter into their own hands in the Bulls 3-2 game two victory over Dayton.

Starting pitcher Mike McGee cruised through the Dayton lineup in the first three innings as he allowed just one hit and no runs. In the fourth inning, McGee ran into some problems as he allowed two runners to cross the plate. After 4.2 innings of action and surrendering just three hits while striking out four, McGee gave the ball to Alec Tuohy who pitched 1.1 innings of shutout ball with three strikeouts. Mike Kaelin entered in the seventh and struck out all three Flyers en route to his second save in as many days for UB, lowering his ERA on the season to 0.96. McGee earned his first win of the season.

Kaelin has been unhittable as of late, retiring 24 straight batters including whiffing 14 batters in his last four appearances for the Bulls.

The Bulls jumped out to the early lead in the second inning as Abrunzo worked a walk and then advanced to third base after a pair of wild pitches. After an UB out, Abrunzo was able to walk home on a Gonzalez double to deep left field, making the score 1-0 in favor of the Bulls.

The Bulls added to their lead in the third as red hot Kwitzer stepped to the plate and ripped a triple into the left center field gap to score Ben Vey from first base following a hit by pitch. The RBI for Kwitzer was his third of the season as he finished the weekend series going 7-for-11 with four runs scored, three RBI's and two bases on balls for the Bulls.

After Dayton tied the game in the fourth, UB broke through with the game winning run in the fifth inning as Sheppard crossed home plate on a wild pitch. After earning a walk with one out, Sheppard stole second base, his second stolen base of the season, and then came around to score on back-to-back wild pitches.

Six Bulls recorded one hit in the game including Sinay who extended his reaching base streak to nine games, reaching base at least one time in each game this season while also leading the Bulls with 11 walks on the year and 10 hits.

UB will return to the diamond on Wednesday afternoon against cross-town rival Canisius at the Demske Sports Complex. Game time is set for 3:00 pm.