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BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo split a Mid-American Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon against Akron. The Bulls (13-22, 4-14 MAC) took the opener 6-2 behind a three-hit complete game from lefthander Mark McMahon (West Seneca, NY/Timon/St. Jude). Akron (16-22, 7-10 MAC) defeated the Bulls in the nightcap by a 10-4 score.

Mark McMahon

McMahon (3-1) was masterful in the seven-inning opener allowing just three hits while striking out seven. Both of the runs surrendered by the junior turned out to be unearned.

Akron picked up a run in the first as leadoff man Ryan Blackwood walked, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. With one out, Craig Welch lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Blackwood. Dan Swallie struck out to end the inning.

The Bulls countered with four runs in their half of the first off starter Ben McCauley (4-6). Eric Huber (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) gave the Bulls a 2-1 lead with his single to center to score Brian Zelasko (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) and Brandon DiCesare (Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit). Corey Blair (Oneida, NY/Oneida) then belted his team-leading sixth home run of the season, scoring Huber ahead of him for the 4-1 edge. UB added a run in the second without benefit of a hit as Tim Sova (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on a flyout and crossed the plate when McCauley uncorked a wild pitch.

Corey Blair

Akron added another unearned run in the fifth as Brickwood scored on Brady Steineck's double to left field.

UB plated the final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth as Bryan Sanchez (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) cracked his fifth home run of the season.

In game two, Tyler Balentine (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) struck out a career-high eight but suffered the loss to fall to 2-4. Balentine allowed a first inning grand slam to Tom Lindhe but settled down after that to keep the Bulls within striking distance.

The Bulls plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the first against Zips starter Aaron Gangi (3-2). Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon/St. Jude) led off with a single and scored on Adrian Daniels' (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) double down the left field line. Daniels later scored on a basehit by Sanchez.

UB tied the game in the fourth with a bases loaded walk to Zelasko scoring Blair and a basehit by Daniels to plate Sova. Unfortunately, that was all the Bulls could manage as they left the bases loaded to end the inning.

Akron took the lead for good with two runs in the fifth off Balentine. Darek Stanfield scored the go-ahead run on a single by Shaun Hinssen, who later scored on a single by Welch. The Zips widened the lead to 7-4 in the sixth with an RBI by Greg Kulick to end Balentine's afternoon.

The Zips added two runs in the seventh off reliever Mike Leslie (Suffern, NY/Suffern) as Lindhe dropped a double just out of reach of John Boom (London, Ontario/Catholic Central) in right field for a 9-4 advantage. Akron also added a final run in the ninth inning off Leslie.

Daniels and Blair each collected three hits for the Bulls in the nightcap. Blair registered two hits in the opener to finish 5-for-6 at the plate.

UB and Akron meet for another doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Amherst Pepsi Center Field.