Kingsley Reaches 200 Career Hits in Split with LeMoyne

McWilliams sets school's save mark in 6-3 nightcap win

James Kingsley

SYRACUSE, NY - A landmark day that featured senior James Kingsley's (Medina, NY/Medina) 200th career hit and senior Sean McWilliams' (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) school-record breaking seventh career save helped the University at Buffalo baseball team to a split of red-hot LeMoyne, dropping the first game 5-3 before winning the nightcap, 6-3, at Dick Rockwell Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Kingsley joined Joe Mihalics (2002-05) as the only UB players to reach 200 career hits in the 46-year history of the program with an opposite-field double in the first inning of the first game. Later in the game, he joined Bryan Sanchez (2000-03) as only the second UB player to reach 25 career homers. Kingsley is the only UB player to get 200 hits, score 100 times, drive in 100 and hit 25 homers in a career. He finished the doubleheader 4-for-7 with two homers, a double and seven RBIs.

Sean McWilliams

McWilliams got out of a self-imposed bases loaded, two-out, seventh-inning jam when he got a groundball to second base for his record-breaking seventh save, preserving the 6-3 win to end the second game and snap a 10-game LeMoyne winning streak.

McWilliams' save, a one-inning, two-hit, one-walk performance, passed Bill Casbolt's record of six set from 1974-77.

Brad Agustin

The Bulls jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the second game, as freshman Brad Agustin (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) singled to right field with one out. Senior Carl Aquila (Alden, NY/St. Mary's/Erie CC) followed with a single that hit the second base bag and shot over the shortstop's head into center field, setting up Kingsley, who delivered a three-run homer to right center field, giving him 131 career RBIs, just six short of the career mark set by Bryan Sanchez, who had 137 from 2000-03.

Buffalo got back in business in the second inning, as freshman Eric Flynn (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) reached on a one-out drag bunt single. Agustin walked and after a flyout, two wild pitches helped score Flynn and Agustin to reach third. Kingsley swatted a single just under the third baseman's glove for his seventh RBI of the game, giving UB a 5-0 lead.

The large lead was short-lived, however, as Phil St. Amant delivered a solo shot to start the LeMoyne second inning, as he blasted a pitch 360 feet to left-center. St. Amant cut deeper into the lead in the third inning with an RBI single.

Agustin answered back for the Bulls hitting his seventh homer of the season over the 342-foot sign in left-center field to make it 6-2. Agustin is tied for 10th in UB's single-season record book in career homers.

St. Amant once again cut into the UB lead in the fifth, as he hit a sac fly in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-3. On the next pitch, Matt Nandin blasted a pitch to the short power alley in left center and Flynn made a beautiful running catch before hitting the fence to keep it a three-run game, where it ended.

Adam Ruszkowski

Junior Adam Ruszkowski (Utica, NY/Proctor) (5-3) picked up the win in two innings of relief, giving up a single run and two hits. He walked one, as he won his 11th career game, tying him for seventh on the school's all-time ledger. Freshman Zach Anderson (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) picked up the hold by pitching a scoreless sixth, striking out two.

Eric Beaulac (2-1) allowed five hits and three runs. He struck out two to in the loss.

Carl Aquila

Agustin led the offense in the second game by going 2-for-2 with three runs and an RBI. Aquila added a 2-for-4 game with a run and Kingsley went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs. Folli went 2-for-4 and senior David Amaro (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) went 2-for-3.

Andy Parrino went 3-for-4 with a run and St. Amant went 2-for-2 with a run and three RBIs for the Dolphins.

Despite three RBIs in the first game from Kingsley, LeMoyne came-from-behind to win, 5-3, in the first game.

The Bulls got on the board in the first inning of the first game, as Aquila was hit by a breaking ball in the helmet with two outs. Kingsley followed with a fly ball to deep right field that sent the right fielder crashing off the wall, dropping the ball, letting Aquila score and giving Kingsley his 46th career double and 200th career hit.

LeMoyne answered back in the bottom of the third, as Keith Connors led off with an opposite field single. After a fielder's choice allowed Stephen Crawford to reach, Andy Parrino singled up the middle and the ball got away from the center fielder to allow Crawford to score. A diving catch in right field kept Parrino from advancing, but a throwing error by the pitcher on a pickoff got him to third and Brian Hansen singled in front of a diving center fielder to score the second run.

Michael Affronti started a two-out rally in the fifth for the Dolphins, as he hit an infield single down the third-base line and Hansen followed with a double of the base of the right-center field wall before Robert Perez singled up the middle to score Hansen and give the Dolphins a 4-1 lead.

Kingsley kept the Bulls in the game in after Agustin walked and with one out, Kingsley hit his 25th career home run over the right-center field fence some 360 feet away.

The Dolphins added a run to make it 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth, utilizing a hit, two walks and a hit batter to round out the scoring in the first game.

Kingsley had two of Buffalo's four hits in the game, finishing 2-for-3 with a run and all three RBIs.

Robby Perez finished 3-for-3 and Connors, Crawford and Hansen each had two hits for the Dolphins.

Brian Pullybank (2-2) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing three hits, two walks and three earned runs. He struck out four in the win. Ryan Woods earned his fourth save for the Dolphins, allowing one hit and striking out two in 1 2/3 innings.

Senior Matt Johnson (Montague, MI/Montague) (0-6) pitched four innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out three.

The Bulls next travel to Oxford, OH for a three-game Mid-American Conference set with Miami (OH) at McKie Field at Hayden Park starting with a 3:00 pm Friday doubleheader.

05/03/2006