BUFFALO, NY - After suffering through several rainouts and moving some games onto the road, the University at Buffalo baseball team finally played its home opener Friday afternoon defeating Bowling Green, 11-6, in the first of a four-game Mid-American Conference series. The victory improves the Bulls' record to 8-11 overall and 2-4 in league play, while the Falcons fall to 12-16 and 4-5.

Brendan Dunford

Senior righthander Brendan Dunford (Buffalo, NY/Timon/St. Jude) got out of a ninth-inning jam coaxing Bowling Green's Kelly Hunt to pop out to end the game with the bases loaded giving the Bulls the win. Dunford (2-4) went the distance striking out nine.

After the Falcons scored a run in the top of the second, the Bulls responded with a tying run in the bottom of the inning. John Boom (London, Ontario/Catholic Central) singled and moved to second on an outfield error. Boom scored the tying run on Corey Blair's (Oneida, NY/Oneida) single to right.

Corey Blair

Bowling Green took a 2-1 lead in the fourth as Andy Hudak brought home Corey Loomis with an RBI single. UB responded with another tying run in the bottom of the frame as Boom reached on an error by shortstop Nick Elrod, moved to second on a Blair single, and scored on an RBI single by Tim Sova (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena).

The Bulls added three runs in the fifth for a 5-2 edge. Brian Zelasko (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) scored on an infield hit by Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa). Joe Milhalics (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) then scored on a single by Brandon DiCesare (Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit). Vanhorne plated the third run of the inning on a double by Eric Huber (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park).

The Falcons narrowed the gap in the sixth to 5-4 with a two-run homer by Loomis after Elrod led off the inning with a walk.

Tim Sova

UB then plated six runs in its final at bat to insure the win. Adrian Daniels (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport), who came in as a pinch runner after Huber led off with a triple, scored on a wild pitch by reliever Ryan Lindquist. Boom then doubled to the center field wall and scored on a Sova single off of Matt Hundley. Vanhorne brought home Sova and Blair with a bloop double down the right field line. Sanchez finished the scoring with a pair of RBIs on another bloop single to center scoring Vanhorne and Milhalics.

Bowling Green plated two against Dunford in the ninth on a pinch single by David Barkholz and a single by Tim Newell. With the bases loaded and just one out, Dunford was able to get Elrod to strike out for the fourth time in the game and force Hunt's popout for the victory.

Sova finished the day 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored while Blair went 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Vanhorne, Huber and Boom each went 2-for-4 in UB's 17-hit attack. Boom also scored three times with Vanhorne and Milhalics touching the plate twice. Loomis was 3-for-4 for the Falcons with three runs scored and two RBIs.

The Bulls and Falcons play a doubleheader Saturday at Amherst Pepsi Center Field. Game one will be a seven-inning contest, followed a by nine-inning game for the nightcap. Sunday's finale is also a nine-inning game.