Bulls Edged Out By Toledo In Series Finale On Sunday, 3-2

Sunday, March 27

1 pm

University at Buffalo

8-11, 2-1

Toledo

4-20-1, 1-2

Buffalo

Toledo

Bulls Edged Out By Toledo In Series Finale On Sunday, 3-2

3/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

TOLEDO, OH – The University at Buffalo baseball team was unable to finish off the sweep of the Toledo Rockets on Easter Sunday as they fell in the series finale, 3-2. With the loss, the Bulls fall to 8-11 overall and 2-1 in Mid-American Conference play.

After cruising through the first three innings of the game and not allowing a hit, UB starter Shawn Dubin got into some trouble in the bottom half of the fourth inning. The Rockets earned a bunt single and stole second base before a wild throw down allowed the base stealer to take third base. The next batter grounded out to short to allow the first run of the inning to cross the plate.

The Bulls didn't wait long to respond as they took the 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Andrew Taft started the inning off with a grounder back to the pitcher but his throw to first sailed high and allowed Taft to advance to second. After a pair of outs, Alex Thrower earned a walk and Bobby Sheppard delivered a two-RBI double to deep right center field.

The Rockets came right back in the bottom of the fifth with a run of their own to make it 2-2. AJ Montoya took a Dubin pitch over the left field fence for his fourth homer of the season.

Toledo was able to collect the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning in an unfortunate way for UB. After a walk and a sacrifice bunt moved the winning run into scoring position, a wild pitch and passed ball allowed the runner to score, giving the Rockets the 3-2 lead and eventual win.

The Bulls had a chance to score the game-tying run in the eighth inning after Mike Abrunzo worked a walk and Vinny Mallaro collected a hit by pitch, but the Bulls couldn't pick up the timely hit to score a run. Abrunzo and Mallaro each extended their career-long reaching base streaks to 17 straight games in the loss.

Making his third start for the Bulls, Dubin pitched a gem of a game in the loss as he went 8.0 innings while allowing just two hits and one earned run while whiffing five Toledo batters. Dubin lowered his ERA to 4.12 on the year with the impressive two-hit outing.

Sheppard led the Bulls at the dish as he went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI's and a walk while three other UB players collected one hit, Chris Kwitzer, Taft and Eddie Edwards III.

The Bulls will return to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon for a doubleheader against Big 4 foe St. Bonaventure. The first game in Olean will start at 2:00 pm followed by the second game of the doubleheader around 4:30 pm.