Bulls Snap Skid with Victory over Big Four Rival Niagara

Capture 15th victory of the season, beating previous season wins total

NIAGARA FALLS, NY – The University at Buffalo baseball team snapped a six-game skid with a 6-4 victory over Big Four rival Niagara on Wednesday afternoon at Sal Maglie Stadium. In the victory, the Bulls captured their 15th victory of the season, beating their previous season wins total.

Dan Francis

Kevin McCall started the Bulls off in the second with a walk followed by a triple to right center by Brian Randazzo, scoring McCall for a Bulls’ 1-0 lead. A few batters later, Bobby Pizzuto drove in Randazzo at third with a left-field sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Purple Eagles tied the game at 2-2.

The Bulls’ matched their second inning output with two runs to pull ahead of the Purple Eagles, 4-2. The Bulls reached base off a pair of singles to start the fifth. With runners at the corners, Charlie Karstedt hit a sacrifice fly to center allowing Adam Skonieczki to score for a 3-2 Bulls’ lead. The Bulls pushed their lead to 4-2 as Chris Ciesla poked an RBI single through the right side.

Adam Skonieczki

The Purple Eagles answered the Bulls’ two runs with two of their own in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 4-4 off an RBI triple and an RBI double.

In the top of the sixth, the Bulls took a 5-4 lead when Brad Agustin dropped an RBI single into right field with Pizzuto racing home from second.

The Bulls held the Purple Eagles off the scoreboard in the remaining four innings with the Bulls cushioning their lead with a run in the seventh off an RBI double by McCall for a 6-4 lead.

Skonieczki went 3-for-5 with a score to lead the Bulls at the plate. McCall and Agustin went 2-for-4 with an RBI and one score each.

Zach Anderson

Reliever Dan Francis (1-1) picked up the Bulls’ victory, his first of the season. Closer Zach Anderson collected his third save of the season, placing him tied for fifth in all-time saves in a season and tied for seven for most career saves.

With their win this afternoon, the Bulls’ improve their season record to 3-0 versus the Purple Eagles including the Bulls’ doubleheader sweep of the Purple Eagles on Wednesday, April 8 at the Amherst Audubon Field.

The Bulls (15-23, 3-11 MAC) will travel to Akron to face the Zips in a conference weekend series on April 24-26. Game one of the three-game set is scheduled for Friday, April 24 with the first pitch at 3:00 pm.