The Week in Review

The Bulls posted a winning week, going 3-2. UB snapped a 10-game losing streak with its 11-7 win at Niagara on April 11 and followed that with a series split against Ohio in Batavia. UB dropped Friday's opener, 23-3. Saturday, the Bulls and Bobcats split with UB taking game one, 7-3 behind a complete game from John Sullivan (Buffalo, NY/Timon/St. Jude), but falling in the nightcap, 26-3. The Bulls gained the split with Brendan Dunford's (Buffalo, NY/Timon/St. Jude) complete game victory over the Bobcats, 7-1 on Sunday.

Bulls Climb Out of Cellar

With its series split against Ohio, UB moved out of last place in the Mid-American Conference's East Division. UB, with its 4-16 league mark, moved ahead of Akron (3-12) for sixth-place in the seven-team division. The Bulls have played the most league contests of any team this season with 20. UB has two league series remaining against the cellar dwellers in both divisions, Akron on the road this weekend and Northern Illinois (3-12) at Audubon Park, May 4-6.

Sullivan, Dunford Lead Mound Corps

A pair of former high school teammates have combined to lead the Bulls' mound staff this season. Righthanders John Sullivan and Brendan Dunford, both from Buffalo's Timon/St. Jude High School have been impressive of late.

Sullivan, who leads the team with three wins, has thrown two consecutive complete games in his last two outings. He allowed just two runs, struck out seven and walked one in a 2-1 loss to Miami, April 14. One week later, Sullivan threw a complete-game, seven-inning gem with a 7-3 win over Ohio with six strikeouts and no walks. In those two games, Sullivan has lowered his earned run average more than two points to 7.09.

Dunford, in his last three games, has thrown 24 innings with 21 strikeouts and just seven earned runs. Dunford notched his first two wins of the season with six innings of relief at Niagara with five strikeouts and went the distance in a nine-inning 7-1 win over Ohio on Sunday. With 2.1 scoreless innings to end the Niagara contest,

Dunford strung together 10.2 innings of shutout pitching before the Bobcats pushed a run across in the ninth inning. In his last three games, including a 3-1 loss to Miami, April 13, Dunford has reduced his ERA by more than five points to 7.12.

Bulls Nearing Single-Season Records

With the Bulls improving their hitting by almost 20 points from last season, several Bulls are nearing single-season school records.

Bryan Sanchez (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy), who set the single-season home run mark with 11 as a freshman last year, has nine dingers this season, tying him for second on the list. Sanchez already owns UB's career home run mark at 20. Sanchez has also moved into fourth on the single-season RBI list at 37 and is within striking distance of the school record of 41 set by Dave Rosenhahn in 1980.

Designated hitter Eric Huber (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) has produced 56 hits this season, tying him for eighth thus far. Pat Raimondo's 1980 total and Mike Dixon's 1977 total of 63 are the most by a Bull in a single season. Huber leads the Bulls with his .392 batting average, the highest since the Bulls returned to Division I baseball last season.

Reliever Kyle Swiatocha (Forest Hills, NY/Holy Cross) has appeared in 13 games this season out of the bullpen. Swiatocha is two appearances away from tying six other Bulls for fifth place on the single-season game list.

The Week Ahead

The Bulls face local rival St. Bonaventure for a pair of seven-inning contests at Dunn Tire Park on Tuesday The Bulls defeated the Bonnies 5-1 on March 8 at Homestead, FL behind a John Sullivan two-hitter. The Bulls then return to MAC action with a roadtrip to Akron where they face the Zips in four games over the weekend.