Bulls Have Record-Setting Day in 27-12 Win Against Niagara at Big 4

Rosenbeck ties school-mark with five hits, Flynn ties record with five runs

Eric Flynn

BUFFALO, NY - No less than seven records were approached for the University at Buffalo baseball team as head coach Bill Breene won his 100th career game in the consolation round of the Big 4 Tournament, as it posted a tournament-record and tied a school-record for runs while setting the school record for hits and doubles in its 27-12 onslaught against Niagara at Amherst Audubon Field on a brisk, wind-blown Wednesday afternoon.

Jacob Rosenbeck

Freshman Jacob Rosenbeck (Medina, NY/Medina) became the fourth player in school history to get five hits in a game, as he finished 5-for-6 with two doubles, two runs and four RBIs. He ties the school record last set by Brandon DiCesare at Niagara on April 18, 2001.

Freshman Eric Flynn (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) went 2-for-4 with two hit by a pitches and a reach on an error to tie a school-record with five runs scored. He tied marks set by Jim Wojcik at Florida International in 1978 and Rick Albert at Canisius in 1978.

Adam Ruszkowski

Junior Adam Ruszkowski (Utica, NY/Proctor) (4-3) became the first pitcher since baseball was reinstated in 2000 to reach 10 career wins, becoming only the 14th pitcher in school history to reach the plateau. He threw 4 2/3 innings of relief, allowing seven hits and two earned runs, striking out four to reach 90 career strikeouts in the process.

The Bulls (11-27 overall), as a team, tied the school record for runs in a game, tying a mark set on April 28, 2002 in a 27-12 win against Ohio, and crushed the Big 4 Tournament record of 12 set by St. Bonaventure in the title game in 2005 and tied by Canisius in its 12-4 win against the Bulls in the first round Wednesday. They also set the school record for hits in a game, smashing 29 and passing the mark of 24 set three times, last against Ohio and doubles in a game with 10. The team also tied the school's mark for total bases in a game with 45, also set against Ohio.

Combined, Niagara and Buffalo smashed the old tournament mark of 21 combined runs in a game, set between the two schools in the first game of the Big Four Tournament in 2004, as they combined for 39 runs.

Canisius picked up its first Big 4 Classic championship with a 12-4 win against St. Bonaventure in the championship game nightcap.

The Purple Eagles (19-19 overall) drew first blood as Andrew MacNevin hit a two-out homer to dead center field in the bottom of the first, but the Bulls rallied back with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Flynn extended his hitting streak to five games with an opposite-field single to right to lead off. Freshman Brad Agustin (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) followed with a homer over the left-field fence for his fifth of the year.

The rally continued as senior Carl Aquila (Alden, NY/St. Mary's/Erie CC) singled up the middle. After a fielder's choice and a walk put runners on first and second, sophomore Mike Folli (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) hit an opposite-field single to left to score senior James Kingsley (Medina, NY/Medina). Rosenbeck followed with a shot off the right-center field fence, bringing in two more runs.

Niagara got another run in the second to cut the Buffalo lead to 5-2 as Tim Alberts reached on an error by the shortstop, took third on a single and scored on a passed ball.

James Kingsley

Buffalo got busy again in the second inning, as Flynn was hit by a pitch and Agustin walked to start. Aquila followed with an RBI single through the left side and after a wild pitch, Kingsley chased starter Kyle Nicoletta from the mound with an RBI double off the base of the 380-foot sign in right center.

Junior Dan Quinn (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) delivered in Aquila and Kingsley with a line single inside the left-field foul line, making it 9-2.

Niagara answered right back in the top of the third, stroking five singles and scoring four times to make it a three-run affair.

Carl Aquila

The Bulls extended the lead in the bottom of the third, as freshman James Piazza (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville North) singled with one out into short left field and Flynn followed with a double to left center field. After a groundout scored Piazza, Aquila lifted a double to right center, scoring another run. Kingsley singled up the middle to score Aquila, making it 12-6 after three innings.

A fifth-inning error and a two-out double by Brian Clifford brought in another Niagara run, making it a five-run margin at the halfway point. Niagara put two more across in the sixth as Jeff Vincent doubled and MacNevin reached on a bunt single before singles by Mike Alati and Mike Medici plated them.

Buffalo kept the heat on, though, as Quinn hit a laser off the left-field wall to start the sixth. Folli followed with a line single to right to score Quinn and Rosenbeck doubled down the right field line and after a walk, Piazza singled to left to score two runs. A hit batter reloaded the bases for Agustin, who delivered with a ball that hopped past a diving third baseman to score another two runs. An infield error scored another run before Kingsley doubled off the left field wall to bring in Agustin. After a popout and a strikeout, Rosenbeck delivered a single up the middle to plate two more runs.

Mike Folli

The Bulls added six more in the seventh, as Flynn reached on an error and Agustin followed with a double to left center. After a groundout plated a run, Kingsley walked, setting up a three-run homer from Folli after a strikeout. Rosenbeck followed with a single before sophomore Rick Oliveri (Tonawanda, NY/Canisius) doubled to right, plating another run. Senior David Amaro (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) followed with a double down the left field line scoring another run.

Agustin went 4-for-5 with four runs and four RBIs as he homered and doubled and Aquila (3 runs, 4 RBIs, double), Kingsley (4 runs, 3 RBIs, 2 doubles), Folli (3 runs, 5 RBIs, homer) and Piazza (2 runs, 2 RBIs) all also had three hits. Quinn (2 runs, 2 RBIs, double) added two hits.

The Bulls will try to keep up their offensive prowess as they travel to Akron on Friday at 3:00 pm for the first of three Mid-American Conference games.

04/26/2006