OXFORD, OH - The University at Buffalo dropped a Mid-American Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon to Miami University 9-3 in the opener and 11-3 in the nightcap at Miami's McKie Field. With the losses, the Bulls fall to 9-16 overall and 2-9 in the MAC, while the RedHawks improve to 19-16 overall and 6-5 in the conference.

The Bulls fell behind early in game one as Miami plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning off UB starter Brendan Dunford (Buffalo, NY/Timon/St. Jude). Ryan Edginton brought home two runs with a double to key the RedHawk uprising.

Joe Mihalics

UB countered for a run in the third inning as freshman designated hitter Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon/St. Jude) hit a one-out double down the right field line to bring home junior second baseman Adrian Daniels (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport), who was hit by a Shawn Landis pitch earlier in the inning. After an infield single by freshman shortstop Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa) put runners on first and second, the UB rally came to a halt as catcher Brandon DiCesare (Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit) hit into a double play to end the inning.

Tim Sova

The Bulls struck for a pair of runs in the fifth to close the gap to 5-3. Tim Sova (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a Landis balk. After Daniels moved Sova to third, Mihalics picked up his second RBI of the game with a single to right scoring Sova. Mihalics went to second on a wild pitch and scored UB's third run when Vanhorne rapped a base hit to center.

Miami scored three runs in the bottom of the inning. The RedHawks plated two of the runs as Paul Frietch scored from third on balk by Dunford and Edginton, who moved to third on the play, stole home later in the inning. Miami also added an unearned run off reliever Kyle Swiatocha (Forest Hills, NY/Holy Cross) in the sixth inning.

Mihalics and Vanhorne each had two hits in the opener from the top of the Bulls' lineup as UB collected six hits in the game. Dunford took the loss to fall to 3-5 while Landis improved to 3-0 with the seven-inning complete game.

Miami scored all 11 of its runs of the second game in the first four innings against pitchers John Sullivan (Buffalo, NY/Timon/St. Jude) and Nick Bellacose (Clarence, NY/Clarence). The RedHawks scored four times in the opening inning with Andi Scheidt bringing home three with a bases-loaded double.

UB picked up its first run of the game in the fifth inning as Vanhorne doubled home Sova, who reached via a hit batsman for the second time on the day. In all, Miami pitchers hit five UB batters in the two games.

The Bulls scored two more runs in the eighth as Bryan Sanchez (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) plated Joe Todoro (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) with a sacrifice fly to center. Vanhorne, who reached base when he was hit by a Brad Bachman pitch, scored UB's final run as Brian Zelasko (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) hit an RBI single to right.

Junior lefthander Mark McMahon (West Seneca, NY/Timon/St. Jude) pitched the final four innings for the Bulls, holding Miami scoreless on one hit while striking out three. Miami starter Billy Kieninger went six innings to improve to 3-3.

UB managed just six hits in the nightcap with no player accounting for more than one. Eric Huber (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park), Andy Wengert (Utica, NY/Proctor) and Daniels joined Mihalics, Vanhorne and Zelasko in the hit column for the Bulls.

The Bulls will try to salvage one game in the four-game MAC series with tomorrow's 1:00 p.m. first pitch.