Ohio Notches Walk-Off Victory To Earn Doubleheader Sweep Of Bulls

Sunday, April 10

12 pm

University at Buffalo

10-17, 4-5

Ohio

14-17, 4-5

Buffalo

Ohio

Ohio Notches Walk-Off Victory To Earn Doubleheader Sweep Of Bulls

4/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ATHENS, OH – The University at Buffalo baseball team wasn't able to collect their second Mid-American Conference series victory of the season as they were handed a pair of losses by the Ohio Bobcats in their Sunday afternoon doubleheader at Bob Wren Stadium. The Bulls were downed 3-1 in the first game of the day while the Bobcats earned a walk-off victory on a wild pitch to earn the 6-5 victory in the second game. Buffalo falls to 10-17 overall and 4-5 in MAC play with the losses.

GAME ONE – BUFFALO 1, Ohio 3

After a scoreless first inning, the Bulls threatened to open the scoring in the second inning as Mike Abrunzo singled through the left side and Ben Haefner worked a walk with one out. Kyle Brennan then stepped in and grounded into a double play to end the Buffalo threat.

The pitchers took over across the next three innings as Charlie Sobieraski and Jake Rudnicki didn't allow a run over the next three innings. The Bulls were able to notch the first run of the game in the sixth inning as Vinny Mallaro crushed his team-leading fifth homer of the season over the left center field wall, giving the Bulls the 1-0 lead.

The Bobcats didn't waste much time responding as John Adryan connected on a 2-run home run to left field to give Ohio the 2-1 lead. The Bobcats lead was extended to two, 3-1, in the bottom of the seventh inning as reigning MAC Player of the Year Mitch Longo singled to right field to score the runner from second.

In the eighth inning, Bobby Sheppard reached first on an error by the Bobcats shortstop but he was not able to come around to score. Don Kilian notched a pinch hit single in the ninth inning to start a Buffalo two-out rally but Brennan grounded out to the Ohio pitcher to end the game.

Sobieraski fell to 4-2 overall on the season as he went seven innings, allowing eight hits and three runs while striking out five batters. Logan Harasta appeared in his team-leading 14^th game and didn't allow a run in one inning of work.

Mallaro led the UB offense as he finished 2-for-4 with a solo homer and the lone UB run, giving him at least one hit in seven of eighth MAC games and at least two hits in six of those eight games. Chris Kwitzer notched his sixth double of the season while Abrunzo, Andrew Taft and Kilian each collected one hit a piece in the loss.

GAME TWO – BUFFALO 5, Ohio 6

After the two starting pitchers, Shawn Dubin for UB and Connor Sitz for Ohio, cruised through the first three innings of the game, the Bulls were able to open the scoring in the fourth inning. Mallaro reached first on an error and then Abrunzo followed that up with a single to left field. The Bulls then notched three straight hits to record three runs as Taft and Kilian each hit singles while Kyle Brennan ripped a double to left field to score Taft from third and give UB the 3-0 lead.

Ohio responded right away in the bottom half of the inning as John Adryan connected on his second 2-run homer of the afternoon to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Bulls. The Bobcats then tied the game at three in the bottom of the fifth inning as Manny De Jesus doubled and Rudy Rott singled to score De Jesus.

The Bulls then added a run in the sixth inning as Ben Vey connected on his first long ball of the season, a solo shot to deep left field, to give UB the 4-3 edge. After Mike Kaelin got UB out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth, Mallaro singled home Ben Haefner who was pinch running for Chris Kwitzer who opened the inning with his second double of the day down the left field line.

The Bulls didn't hold onto the 5-3 lead for long as Ohio tied the game up with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning. The Bobcats scored one run on a wild pitch and another on a single from Cody Gaertner.

With the game knotted at five, neither team was able to score the go-ahead run in the eighth inning but the Bobcats were able to collect the walkoff victory in the ninth. Mitch Longo started the bottom of the ninth with a double to deep center field before De Jesus notched a bunt single to third base, giving the Bobcats runners on the corners with no outs. The Bobcats then scored the game-winning run in the next at bat as Kaelin threw a wild pitch, allowing Longo to score from third and win the series, 2-1, for the Bobcats.

The Buffalo offense was able to collect 14 hits in the loss as Kilian led the way going 3-for-4 with his third RBI of the season. Abrunzo, Taft and Brennan were each able to record two hits in the loss while Vey connected on just his second career homer. Mallaro finished off his day going 3-for-9 with a pair of RBI's and is now batting .472 in nine MAC games with a team-best 12 RBI's and 11 runs scored.

Shawn Dubin had a strong showing for the third straight start as he went 5.2 innings while allowing nine hits, three runs and striking out two Bobcats. Kaelin dropped to 0-4 on the year as he went 2.1 innings and allowed three earned runs while whiffing a pair of batters.

The Bulls will return to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon as they travel to cross-town rival Canisius for a non-conference meeting at 4:00 pm. The Bulls and Golden Griffins met earlier this season with Canisius earning the 9-5 victory.