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OXFORD, OH - The University at Buffalo opened an important four-game Mid-American Conference series against Miami (Ohio) Friday afternoon dropping a heartbreaking 9-8 decision to the RedHawks at McKie Field. With the loss, the Bulls fall to 9-14 overall and 2-7 in the MAC while Miami moves to 17-16 overall and 4-5 in league play.

Brandon DiCesare

UB held a 4-0 lead after an inning and a half and led 7-4 through six frames before Miami rallied for five runs in its final two at-bats.

The Bulls opened the scoring in the first as leadoff man Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon/St. Jude) started the game with an infield single and moved into scoring position on a walk to Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa). Brandon DiCesare (Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit) brought home Mihalics with the first run of the game on a single and Vanhorne made it 2-0 as he scored on an Eric Huber (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) single.

UB added two more runs in the second to take a 4-0 edge as Adrian Daniels (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport), returning to the lineup after missing several games with a wrist injury, tripled to bring home Tim Sova (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena), who led off the inning with a walk. Daniels then scored on a sacrifice fly by Vanhorne.

Adrian Daniels

After Miami drew to within a run at 4-3, UB tacked on three more runs in the fifth to take a 7-3 lead. Sova brought home Huber and John Boom (London, Ontario/Catholic Central) with a two-run double and came home on Daniels' second RBI of the game, a single to center field.

The Bulls were then held hitless over the next three innings as the RedHawks scored a run in both the fifth and sixth innings and four runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 9-7 lead.

With UB ahead 7-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh, starter Tyler Balentine (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) got the first two hitters on flyouts. Miami's rally began with a base hit by Paul Frietch and a wild pitch allowing the runner to move to second base. Frietch then scored on a Ryan Edginton single to make the score,7-6 in favor of the Bulls. Miami then loaded the bases on a hit batsman and base on balls as Balentine was lifted for relief ace Anthony Puccia (Penfield, NY/Penfield). However, Puccia was unable to close the door as pinch hitter Josh Widlansky singled through the left side on the first pitch to plate two runs and give Miami an 8-7 lead. The Bulls were able to get the final out of the inning as Widlansky was caught in a run-down trying to steal second, but not before George Stegmiller, who had been inserted as a pinch-runner scored from third before the tag was applied to Widlansky.

Eric Huber

The Bulls rallied for a final run in the ninth as DiCesare doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch by Adam Keel and scored on a one-out single by Bryan Sanchez (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy). Huber moved Sanchez to second with a groundout, but the Bulls were unable to get the trying run across as Boom struck out to end the game.

Huber led the Bulls with a 3-for-5 afternoon at the plate, scoring one run and knocking in another. Mihalics, DiCesare, Boom and Daniels each added two hits. Balentine fell to 2-2 on the year while Miami starter Russ Bayer improved to 6-1 and Keel picked up his first save.

The Bulls and RedHawks play a doubleheader Saturday. they conclude the series on Sunday.