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Joe Mihalics

AKRON, OH - Despite a leadoff single in the top of the ninth inning from senior shortstop Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon-St. Jude) that helped him become the first University at Buffalo baseball player to reach 200 career hits, Buffalo fell 8-6 to Akron in both teams' Mid-American Conference opener at Lee Jackson Field on Friday afternoon.

In a game that featured three lead changes and three ties, Akron's Kurt Davidson delivered the big blow in the bottom of the eighth inning by sending a 3-2 pitch down the right field line for a run-scoring double. Davidson eventually scored on a passed ball.

Akron got on the board first in the bottom of the third inning, as Brian Kimutis doubled down the left field line and Doug Kruthaupt scored the No. 2 batter with a single up the middle. Buffalo answered in the bottom of the frame, however, as junior first baseman James Kingsley (Medina, NY/Medina) hit a home run to center field, the 11th of the junior's career to move him into a tie for eighth-place in UB history.

Buffalo added another run in the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead, as senior left fielder John Boom (London, Ontario/Catholic Central) reached on a one-out walk. After a strikeout, Mihalics singled for his 199th career hit to move Boom to second and Kingsley drove Boom home with another single.

In the top of the sixth, the Bulls added another run as freshman third baseman Mike Folli (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) hit his first career home run to make it 3-1. The lead didn't last however, as Bulls' starting pitcher, junior Matt Johnson (Montague, MI/Montague/Grand Rapids CC) ran into trouble in the bottom half of the inning as three hits, back-to-back walks and a wild pitch led to three runs in the frame.

The Bulls fought back to tie the game at four in the top of the seventh, though, as Boom and senior center fielder Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa) singled to lead off. After a strikeout, Kingsley was hit by a pitch to load the bases and sophomore catcher Dan Quinn (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) walked to score Boom.

The Zips scored two runs in the bottom of the frame, though, as reliever Mark Tourangeau (Oakville, Ontario/Queen Elizabeth Park) was roughed up for back-to-back doubles from Charlie Lenhard and Andy Capraruolo.

Buffalo once-again answered back in the top of the eighth to retie the game at six, as junior designated hitter David Amaro (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) led off with a single and took second on a walk by Folli. After a sac bunt moved the runners to second and third, Boom launched a sac fly to score Amaro and Vanhorne singled to score Folli.

James Kingsley

Kingsley led the Buffalo offense with a 3-for-4 performance with a home run, a double and two RBIs. Mihalics, Amaro and Vanhorne each had two hits for UB.

Capraruolo, Kimutis, Kruthaupt and Davidson helped the top four hitters in the Akron lineup go 8-for-17 with five runs and five RBIs. Jim Bonnette also went 2-for-4 with two runs.

Ross Liersemann struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings for the Zips, allowing nine hits and four earned runs to take a no-decision. Tom Farmer allowed two runs on one hit in 1 1/3 frames, walking two.

Johnson pitched well for the Bulls, allowing four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits and four walks. Junior Sean McWilliams (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) struck out one in 1/3 inning, but it was his wild pitch that tied the game at four. Tourangeau (1-2) allowed four runs, three earned, four hits and two walks in one inning to take the loss.

Buffalo and Akron meet again tomorrow at 1:00 pm at Lee Jackson Field for the second game of the three-game series.