Bryan Sanchez

PITTSBURGH, PA ­ A five-run fifth inning helped Buffalo (12-26) get past Pittsburgh (30-13), 7-4, in the final game of a two-game series on Sunday afternoon at Trees Field.

After scoring a run on two Pittsburgh errors in the first inning, Bryan Sanchez (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) upped the UB lead to 2-0 with a solo home run in the fourth inning. It was Sanchez's third home run in his last four games.

Pittsburgh knotted the score at 2-2 in the fifth inning as Mike Scanzano roped an RBI-single and Bryan Spamer added an run-scoring groundout. However, Buffalo came right back with five runs on six hits in the sixth inning to take a 7-2 lead. The Bulls sent 10 batters to the plate and collected two RBI triples by Andrew Wengert (Utica, NY/Proctor) and John Boom (London, Ontario/Catholic Central).

The Panthers were able to score twice in the bottom of the ninth, but that was all the closer they could get.

John Sullivan (Buffalo, NY/Timon/St. Jude) allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out four over eight innings to pick up first win of the year. Jeff Barnyak got the loss for Pittsburgh.

Buffalo had 10 hits in the game. Sanchez, Wengert and Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa) each collected two hits for the Bulls.

The Bulls have now won four out of their last five games and will next face Ohio in a weekend series at Amherst Audubon Field beginning May 2.