Brandon DiCesare

BUFFALO, NY ­ The Buffalo baseball team (8-24, 3-10) dropped both games of a doubleheader to Miami (20-16-1, 8-3) on Saturday afternoon at Amherst Audubon Field. The RedHawks won the first game, 9-1, and came from behind to win game two, 9-5, in 10 innings.

After scoring an unearned run in the third inning, Miami used a five-run fourth to take control of game one. The key blow was a three-run home run off the bat of David Cook. It was Cook's second long ball of the series.

The Bulls' lone run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Brandon DiCesare (Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit) that scored Brian Zelasko (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) to cut the lead to 6-1.

Miami tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth inning, capped by a two-run double by Mike Ferris.

Matt Long got the win for the RedHawks after allowing one earned run over five innings. John Sullivan (Buffalo, NY/Timon/St. Jude) was charged with the loss after he gave up five earned runs over five innings.

In game two, the Bulls took a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning before Miami rallied for two runs and spoiled a solid outing by UB starter Nick Bellacose (Clarence, NY/Clarence). The Bulls managed to tie the game, 4-4, in the bottom of the ninth, but the RedHawks pounded out five runs in the top of the 10th inning to earn the 9-5 victory.

The Bulls opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa) scored on an RBI single by DiCesare. Brian Canada launched a two-run home run in the top of the second inning to give Miami a 2-1 lead.

The Bulls tied the contest in the sixth inning when DiCesare scored on a balk by Miami pitcher Graham Taylor. UB took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning compliments of an RBI single by James Kingsley (Medina, NY/Medina) that scored Vanhorne.

However, in the ninth inning, the RedHawks got a clutch double from Michael Carlin that tied the game and an RBI single by John Slone that gave Miami a 4-3 lead. The Bulls rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth when David Amaro's (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) grounder was misplayed by shortstop Zach Schmidt, allowing Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon/St. Jude) to score.

Miami played small ball to gain its five runs in the 10th inning as all six of the RedHawks' hits were singles.

Michael Gardner earned the win in relief for Miami. Chris McGraw (Summerville, SC/Stratford) was charged with the loss.

The four-game series will conclude with a single game on Sunday afternoon at 1 pm at Amherst Audubon Field.