Bulls Quest for Big Four Classic Championship Falls Short

Bulls display strongest showing by reaching first ever championship game

BUFFALO, NY – After a six year absence in the Big Four Classic championship, the University at Buffalo baseball team’s quest to capture its first ever title came up short as the Bulls fell to Canisius 6-2 on Wednesday evening. The Bulls displayed their strongest showing in the sixth annual Big Four Classic as the Bulls opened play on Tuesday evening by defeating the reigning champions St. Bonaventure 14-5.

Charlie Karstedt

For the second game in a row, the Bulls took a 2-0 first-inning lead. With runners on second and third, Charlie Karstedt cracked an RBI single to left field to put the Bulls on the board, scoring Adam Skonieczki. A few batters later with runners on second and third, Kevin McCall singled to short as Brad Agustin raced home to put the Bulls ahead 2-0.

In the bottom of the first, the Golden Griffins cut the Bulls’ lead in half to 2-1 off a solo shot to right field by Kevin Mailloux.

Kevin McCall

With the game tied at 2-2, the Golden Griffins extended its lead with one swing of the bat as Branson Joseph drilled a three-RBI home run to left field, putting the Golden Griffins in the lead 5-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, Joseph extended the Golden Griffins’ lead to 6-2 as he sent an RBI triple to deep left, bringing his game-high RBI total to four.

Starter Chaz Mye (0-5) recorded the Bulls' loss in 3.0 innings of work. In sixth-inning relief work, Jesse Reinstein collected the Bulls’ two strikeouts.

Jesse Reinstein

The Bulls’ and Golden Griffins’ pitching staffs allowed six hits each.

Agustin went 1-for-1 with one run scored while Skonieczki went 1-for-3, scoring the other Bulls’ run.

The Bulls (17-26, 4-13 MAC) will return home to face the 21st ranked team in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, Kent State in a conference weekend home series on May 1-3. Game one of the three-game set is scheduled for Friday, May 1 with the first pitch at 3:00 pm.