Bulls Swept by Ball State in Conference Doubleheader

Bulls record five double plays in nightcap

BUFFALO, NY - Following a weekend hampered by weather conditions, the University at Buffalo baseball team finally faced Mid-American Conference opponent Ball State on Sunday afternoon in a conference doubleheader. The Bulls opened home conference play by dropping both games to the Cardinals, 15-9 and 3-2.

The Cardinals managed to score first in the top of the first off a walk with the bases loaded to take a 1-0 lead. The Bulls managed to end the inning with a force out at second closing out the Cardinals' scoring threat.

Rob Lawler

Facing two outs in the bottom of the first, the Bulls offensive machine generated six runs to take a 6-1 lead. With the bases loaded, Adam Skonieczki scored off a wild pitch by the Cardinals' Brad Piatt. The Bulls managed to reload the bases off a walk by Jacob Rosenbeck. Next up, Rob Lawler lined a two-RBI single to left field, scoring Brad Agustin and Chris Ciesla for a 3-0 Bulls' lead. The Bulls scoring continued as Brad Cochrane crushed a two-RBI double to left center, scoring Lawler and Rosenbeck. The Bulls added a run to their total with an RBI-single up the middle by Eric Flynn, driving in Cochrane to extend the Bulls lead to 6-1.

In the top of the second, the Cardinals soared back to take an 8-6 lead by scoring seven runs while facing two outs. Zach Dygert had a two-RBI base hit to left field, scoring Nate Fields and Jeremy Hazelbaker to cut into the Bulls' lead 6-3. The Cardinals added two runs off an error at third and an RBI-single by Ian Nielsen to bring the game within one run. Ryan Chenoweth gave the Cardinals an 8-6 lead off a three-RBI double to center field, scoring T.J. Baumet, Nielsen and Kory Benbow.

The Cardinals added one run in the top of the third to take a 9-6 lead followed by a two-run inning in the top of the sixth to extend their lead to 11-6. The Cardinals added three more runs in the top of the eighth to take a 14-6 lead.

Charlie Karstedt

In the bottom of the eighth, the Bulls began to chisel away at the Cardinals lead with a pair of runs. Charlie Karstedt hit a triple to center field to start the Bulls off. Ciesla drove in Karstedt with an RBI-double to right. A routine single by Agustin, ended with Ciesla scoring and Agustin advancing to second, off an error by the Cardinals' centerfielder.

The Cardinals added a run in the top of the ninth to close out the game's scoring.

The Bulls batted around in the bottom of the first and the Cardinals in top of the second for 13 combined runs.

Jesse Reinstein (0-2) received the loss for the Bulls.

Ciesla went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two scored runs. Agustin, Flynn and Rosenbeck went 2-for-4 with Flynn and Rosenbeck adding an RBI each. Karstedt and Lawler went 2-for-5 with Lawler adding two RBIs.

Following three scoreless innings in the nightcap, the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in a play resulting in a double play at first and second with Ball State's Kolbrin Vitek crossing the plate.

The Cardinals added two runs in the top of the sixth to take a 3-0 lead. Nielsen hit a two-RBI single to center field to score Vitek and Hazelbaker.

Chris Ciesla

In the bottom of the sixth, Karstedt dropped a single in right field to score Skonieczki, cutting into the Cardinals lead 3-1.

In the Bulls final attempt at-bat, Shivam Bhan grounded out to second base with runners at second and third, driving in pinch runner Bobby Pizzuto to pull the Bulls within one, 3-2.

Pierre Miville-Deschenes (3-2) received the loss for the Bulls. Reliever Zach Anderson held the Cardinals scoreless in 3.0 innings of work, striking out five batters.

The Bulls recorded five double plays with four of the five in the first four innings. This mark fell one short of an all-time program record for most double plays in a game set in 2000.

In the nightcap, Ciesla went 2-for-4 with Bhan and Karstedt each picking up an RBI.

The Bulls (10-17, 1-7 MAC) will remain at home as they host Big Four rival Niagara on Wednesday, April 8 with the first pitch set for 3:00 pm.