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Mike Folli

BUFFALO, NY _ Two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and a complete game seven-hitter from Cody Vincent led St. Bonaventure to a 5-2 win against the University at Buffalo baseball team in the first round of the Big 4 Classic at Dunn Tire Park on Wednesday night.

Buffalo (11-21-1 overall) faces Niagara, which lost a thrilling 8-7, 10-inning affair in the first game of the tournament in the consolation round on Wednesday at 3:00 pm.

The Bonnies (19-20 overall) broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Matt Mardeusz led off with an infield single chopped over the third baseman's head. He took third on the next play when T.J. Pennino hit a grounder over the third baseman's glove and took second on the play. Craig King then executed a perfect safety squeeze and with no one covering first, everyone was safe, giving the Bonnies the lead. After King was caught stealing, Brian New walked and 2004 Freshman All-American Bran Pelligrinini singled to drive in another run and make it 4-2. The Bonnies added a single tally in the sixth inning.

Buffalo got on the board first off St. Bonaventure's Vincent, as senior shortstop Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon-St.Jude) singled to right field to lead off the top of the fourth. He stole second, his fifth stolen bag of the year and scored when junior designated hitter David Amaro (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) singled to center with two outs in the frame.

St. Bonaventure answered in the bottom of the frame, as Joe Rizzo doubled inside the first base bag setting up a two-run line drive homer by Damian Blakely to give it a 2-1 lead.

The Bulls rallied in the fifth inning when senior right fielder Andrew Wengert (Utica, NY/Proctor) singled to lead off, took second on a sacrifice and third when freshman second baseman Mike Folli (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) reached on a throwing error by the third baseman and scored on a sac fly by senior center fielder Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa) to tie the game.

Folli extended his current hitting streak to 14 games with a leadoff single to left field in the first inning. He added a slow squirter in the third inning for his second hit. Folli has gone 25-for-53 during the stretch, raising his average from .227 to a team-leading .339. Mihalics also added two hits, a stolen base and a run for the Bulls.

King went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Matt Mardeusz went 2-for-4 with a run for the Bonnies.

Senior Chris McGraw (Summerville, SC/Stratford) (1-3) pitched six innings for the Bulls, allowing nine hits, a walk and five runs. He struck out two. Senior Anthony Marchioli (Buffalo, NY/West Seneca West) pitched the final two innings, allowing a walk and a hit batter. He also struck out two.

Vincent (5-3) tossed a complete game seven-hitter, allowing two earned runs. He walked none and struck out two.