BASEBALL

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HOMESTEAD, FL - The University at Buffalo baseball team began their first season of competition since the 1986 season with action this weekend in Florida, playing five games over the weekend and Monday morning. The Bulls are currently 2-3 after a Monday morning win over Sacred Heart. UB picked up their first win of the season with a 12-10 victory over Chicago State in the season opener on Friday night.

On Saturday, the Bulls dropped a doubleheader against Boston College. The Bulls lost the first game 16-0, with Jeff Robertson (Kenmore, NY/Kenmore West) taking the loss. But UB didn't fold and came back strong the second game. In the second game, the Bulls had a 2-1 lead going into the sixth inning of a seven inning game. Starting pitcher Anthony Puccia (Penfield, NY/Penfield) went six innings, giving up four hits in a great performance. Boston College would score one run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game and score one run in the bottom of the seventh off Frank Occhiogrosso (Ronkonkoma, NY/Cottetquot) who took the loss. The Bulls were led at the plate by two freshman. Brian Zelasko (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) collected two hits in the second game and Bryan Sanchez (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) accounted for both runs with two solo homers, his first and second home runs of the season.

Sunday morning's action saw the Bulls drop a game to Chicago State 8-2, the same team they opened up with a win against on Friday night. Matt Rogan (Cattaraugus, NY/Cattaraugus Central) took the loss despite pitching six strong innings, giving up just three hits, but ran into trouble in the seventh. The game was tied at 2-2 going into the seventh and Chicago State scored twice in that inning and four times in the eighth for the win. Charlie Smilinich (Fort Drum, NY/Fort Drum) had two hits, including a double and a run scored and Kevin Brown (Amherst, NY/Amherst Central) had two hits and an RBI. The Bulls were hurt by 13 runners left on base in the game.

Monday morning the Bulls picked up their second win of the season with a 7-6 victory over Sacred Heart. Freshman Tyler Balentine (Mendon, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) picked up his first career win, going five innings and giving up five hits and six runs, four runs were unearned. Jeff Robertson came in to pitch the last two innings and pick up the save. UB struck with a five run second inning, highlighted by a two-run double by Brian Zelasko, scoring Charlie Smilinich and Kevin Brown. Smilinich continued his hot hitting with two more base hits, a single and a double, and scored twice and Mark Vogel (West Seneca, NY/Bishop Timon) also scored two runs.

UB (2-3) will face Holy Cross Tuesday, March 7 at 10:30 am before taking Wednesday off. The Bulls will then finish with five games from Thursday, March 9 through Saturday, March 11, before returning home.