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Bulls Drop Series Opener to Eagles, 10-0

Carl Aquila

YPSILANTI, MI - After an opening groundout, the next seven Eastern Michigan batters reached base en route to scoring five first-inning runs and leading to a 10-0 victory against the University at Buffalo baseball team in the two teams' first-ever meeting in Mid-American Conference action at Oestrike Stadium on Friday afternoon.

George Biddle (3-1), who has tossed 49.1 innings of the Eagles' 185 total frames, shut the Bulls down, scattering eight hits but never letting a runner reach third base. He struck out eight and walked none, although he did hit two batters.

Three Eastern Michigan (10-11 overall, 3-1 MAC) batters walked to load the bases with one out in the first inning and Steve Bradshaw followed with a single to drive in two before back-to-back doubles from Brian Blackburn and Aaron Powell plated three more runs, sending the game out of Buffalo's reach.

Zack Anderson

The Eagles got two runs each in the third and fourth innings to extend the lead along with a single tally in the fifth to round out the scoring. The Bulls (5-18 overall, 0-4 MAC) then shut down the Eagles the rest of the way as freshman Zack Anderson (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) pitched three scoreless frames, giving up one hit and striking out four.

Senior Carl Aquila (Alden, NY/St. Mary's/Erie CC) had three of the Bulls' eight hits, going 3-for-4 and sophomore Kevin Nowak (Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga) added a double.

Bradshaw went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs and Blackburn went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs to pace the Eagles.

Senior Matt Johnson (Montague, MI/Montague/Grand Rapids CC) (0-4) was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs in one-third of an inning for the Bulls.

The game was the Bulls' fourth straight loss to a conference opponent by shutout, as Central Michigan swept the Bulls at Amherst Audubon Field last weekend, tossing 27 scoreless innings in a row.

The series is the first-ever meeting between the two cross-divisional conference rivals, despite the fact that Buffalo has been a member of the MAC since 2001.

The Bulls will get back in action on Saturday with a 1:00 pm game at Oestrike Stadium against the Eagles.