Bulls Drop Series Finale to Akron, 9-7

Nick Walczak and Rick Oliveri each homer for UB in the loss

Nick Walczak

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo baseball team was unable to overcome a seven-run seventh inning by Akron, falling to the Zips, 9-7, on Sunday afternoon at Amherst Audubon Field. Nick Walczak (Tonawanda, NY/Kenmore East) and Rick Oliveri (Tonawanda, NY/Canisius) each hit home runs for the Bulls in the loss.

Buffalo scored first, scratching across a run in the bottom of the first. Brian Randazzo (St. Charles, MO/St. Charles) led off the inning with a single, he advanced to third on a double down the left field line by Adam Skonieczki (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott). Ranadzzo then scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Ciesla (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott).

The game remained 1-0 until the fifth inning when Akron scored a run in the top of the inning and the Bulls responded with four in the bottom. Oliveri walked to open the inning for UB and scored after singles by Randazzo and Skonieczki. Walczak then delivered a three-run shot over the right field wall to give the Bulls a 5-1 lead. The home run was Walczak's team-leading sixth of the season.

Rick Oliveri

Both teams scored a run in the sixth, Oliveri hit a solo blast to left for the Bulls. For Oliveri it was his second round-tripper of the season.

Akron then exploded for seven runs in the top of the seventh. The Zips sent 13 men to the plate in the inning as they used eight hits to score their seven runs. Ryan Frazee and Brandon White each had a pair of runs batted in during the frame while Kevin Haas, Doug McNulty and Matt Roberts each drove in single runs.

The Bulls cut the Akron lead to 9-7 with a run in the bottom of the seventh, Oliveri drove in Charlie Karstedt (Eden, NY/Eden) who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. But that was as close as Buffalo would get as their bid for a weekend sweep came up just short.

Brian Randazzo

For the third-straight day, Randazzo had three hits, he was 3-for-4. In the three-game set with the Zips, Randazzo was 9-for-14 with four runs scored and five RBIs. Skonieczki also had three hits for the Bulls while Ciesla and Oliveri each had a pair.

With the loss, Buffalo falls to 13-27 on the year, 6-11 in the Mid-American Conference.

The Bulls will return to action on Tuesday, April 29 when they travel to Olean, NY to play St. Bonaventure in the first round of the Big Four Classic. Game time between the Bulls and Bonnies is set for 3:00 p.m.

04/27/2008