Mike Folli

OXFORD, OH - Former Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year pitcher Keith Weiser held the University at Buffalo baseball team in check, striking out a career-high 10 in 7 2/3 innings, on Friday afternoon, as Miami (OH) held off Buffalo, 10-3, in the opening game of a MAC series on a warm, sunny day at McKie Field.

Weiser (5-0) gave up three hits and one earned run while striking out 10 and walking no one. The left-hander was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2004 and has allowed just four earned runs in 24.2 innings of MAC play this year.

The first Bulls' (11-17 overall, 1-4 MAC) run came in the eighth inning when junior designated hitter David Amaro (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) led off with a single and senior center fielder Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa) doubled to left center to move Amaro to third. Freshman Kevin Nowak (Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga) pinch-ran for Amaro and scored on a sac fly from senior third baseman Chris McGraw (Summerville, SC/Stratford/Coffeyville CC).

In the ninth inning, senior shortstop Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon-St.Jude) reached on an error to lead off. Freshman second baseman Mike Folli (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) followed with a double, his second hit of the day, and junior first baseman Aaron Otto (Lockport, NY/Newfane) singled to score Mihalics. Sophomore catcher Dan Quinn (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) reached on the second error of the inning to score Folli. A strikeout and a line-drive double play ended the game.

The East Division-leading RedHawks (21-12 overall, 5-2 MAC) scored three runs in the bottom of the third to set the tone for the game, as Ryne Robinson tripled with two men on to clear the bases. He later scored on a double from Brandon Hillier.

Miami's attack kept going as Eric Radley and Hillier each notched RBI singles in the fourth inning. It also added single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to take a commanding 8-0 lead before a two-run homer from Jon Franzese closed the Miami scoring.

Sophomore Adam Ruszkowski (Utica, NY/Proctor) (4-2) took the loss for the Bulls, pitching five innings, allowing six runs, eight hits, three walks. He struck out two.

Brad Bachman pitched the final out of the eighth for Miami, striking out one before yielding to Sam Shorts, who pitched the final inning.

Four Miami batters, the eight-spot through the two-spot in the lineup had two hits as Evan Armitage went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run, Eric Radley went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run, Robinson went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs and Hillier went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.

Buffalo will look to end its four-game losing skid Saturday at 1:00 pm as it plays Miami in a 1:00 pm tilt at McKie Field.