University at Buffalo
7-10, 0
Toledo
3-19-1, 0
Baseball Opens Conference Play With a Decisive Victory At Toledo, 13-7
3/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
TOLEDO, OH – The University at Buffalo baseball team opened up Mid-American Conference play with a victory over Toledo on Friday at Scott Park by the score of 13-7. Vinny Mallaro led the UB charge going 4-for-6 with a homer, five RBI's and two runs as the Bulls improved to 7-10 overall and 1-0 in MAC play.
"Today was by far our best offensive game of the season," stated head coach Ron Torgalski. "Our situational hitting was well executed all day long. Our guys really stepped up with two outs and produced today which was great to see."
The Bulls offense exploded for five runs in the sixth inning to put the game away. Mallaro and Andrew Taft each connected on two-run homers while Mike Abrunzo recorded a sacrifice fly to deep center to help UB put up the five spot in the sixth.
After a scoreless top of the first, Toledo got on the board with the second pitch of the game for Alec Tuohy as AJ Montoya took the pitch over the left field fence to give the Rockets the 1-0 lead. After an error gave the Rockets a base runner, catcher Kyle Brennan, making his first start of the season, gunned out the base stealer at second base to end the inning.
The Bulls were able to knot the game at one in the third inning as Alex Thrower started the inning off with a bunt single. The speedster then stole second base before moving to third on a wild pitch. Ben Haefner then dug in and hit a deep sacrifice fly to right field to score Thrower, his ninth run of the season.
The Bulls took their first lead of the game in the fourth inning as Vinny Mallaro smacked his team-leading seventh double of the season to center field and Chris Kwitzer worked a walk. After Andrew Taft moved the runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt, Eddie Edwards III notched a single up the middle to score Mallaro and Kwitzer, giving UB the 3-1 lead.
The UB lead didn't last long as the Rockets were able to tie the game at three in the bottom half of the fourth. After the Rockets got a pair of base runners on a hit by pitch and a walk, John Martillotta singled up the middle to score two runners.
The Bulls responded quickly in fifth with a pair of runs to take the 5-3 lead. After Bobby Sheppard earned a walk, he hustled his way to third after a failed pick-off attempt at first went into right field. Abrunzo then walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Mallaro hit an infield single to score Sheppard from third. Kwitzer then dug in and hit a single to center to score Abrunzo and give the Bulls the two-run lead.
After the Bulls struck for five in the sixth inning to make the score 10-3 in favor of Buffalo, the Rockets got back into the game with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
In the eighth inning the Rockets added another run to make the score 10-7. The Bulls responded quickly in the ninth as they put the game away with three runs. Edwards III earned the walk and moved over to third base on Sheppard's single to left center. Haefner then singled to left field to score Edwards III, making the score 11-7. Mallaro then collected his second double of the game to score a pair and make the score 13-7.
On the mound, Tuohy collected his third win as he went six innings while allowing three runs and striking out a season-best seven batters. Logan Harasta pitched 1.1 innings and struck out three batters while Mike Kaelin went 1.1 innings and allowed no hits while striking out three batters.
The Bulls and Rockets will return to Scott Park on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm for the second game of the three-game series. Charlie Sobieraski (3-1, 6.51 ERA) will toe the bump for the Bulls.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tuohy, Alec (3-2)
L: CALHOUN (1-5)
S: Kaelin, Mike (4)
Batting:
2B: Mallaro, Vinny 2 ; Kwitzer, Chris 1
HR: Mallaro, Vinny 1 ; Taft, Andrew 1
RBI: Haefner, Ben 2 ; Abrunzo, Mike 1 ; Mallaro, Vinny 5 ; Kwitzer, Chris 1 ; Taft, Andrew 2 ; Edwards III, Eddie 1
SH: Taft, Andrew 1 ; Thrower, Alex 1
SF: Haefner, Ben 1 ; Abrunzo, Mike 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sheppard, Bobby 3 ; Haefner, Ben 2 ; Abrunzo, Mike 1 ; Mallaro, Vinny 2 ; Kwitzer, Chris 2 ; Taft, Andrew 1 ; Edwards III, Eddie 1 ; Thrower, Alex 1
SB: Edwards III, Eddie 1 ; Thrower, Alex 1
CS: Brennan, Kyle 1 ; Thrower, Alex 1
HBP: Edwards III, Eddie 1
Batting:
2B: TANSEL 1
HR: MONTOYA 1
RBI: MONTOYA 1 ; TANSEL 3 ; ADOLPH 1 ; MARTILLOTTA 2
SH: ADOLPH 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MONTOYA 2 ; HANSEN 1 ; TANSEL 1 ; BOLLINGER 1 ; CAMPBELL 1 ; SOKOL 1
CS: TANSEL 1 ; ADOLPH 1
HBP: HANSEN 1 ; TANSEL 1 ; BOLLINGER 1
