Chris McGraw

BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo baseball team came from behind to take both games of a doubleheader against Canisius on Wednesday afternoon at Amherst Audubon Field. An RBI double by Brian Zelasko (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) capped a two-run seventh inning that gave the Bulls a 3-2 win in game one. John Boom (London, Ontario/Catholic Central) scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch to break an 8-8 tie and lift the Bulls to a 9-8 victory in game two.

In game one, Canisius jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The lead stood until the bottom of the fourth inning when Chris McGraw (Summerville, SC/Stratford) launched a solo home run to cut the lead to 2-1. It was McGraw's third home run of the season. Neither team would score again until the bottom the seventh inning. Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa) tied the game when his RBI single scored Matt Larson (Canandaigua, NY/Pomona) to tie the game, 2-2. After Vanhorne stole second base and Steve Legrett (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) drew a walk, Zelasko won the game when he sailed a double over the head of the Canisius rightfielder.

Mark Tourangeau (Oakville, Ontario/Queen Elizabeth Park) tossed a complete game, allowing two runs on four hits, to pick up the win. Kevin Seitz was charged with the loss in relief.

In game two, it was the Bulls' turn to take an early lead. UB scored twice in the top of the first inning following an RBI double by Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon/St. Jude) and an RBI groundout by James Kingsley (Medina, NY/Medina). McGraw ripped a two-run single in the bottom of the third inning to give Buffalo a 4-0 lead.

After Canisius tallied a run in the top of the fourth inning to cut the UB lead to 4-1, the Golden Griffins erupted for five runs in the top of the fifth inning, capped by a two-run double by Gabe Baida, to take a 6-4 lead. The Bulls got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning when McGraw scored on a sacrifice fly by Vanhorne to make the score 6-5. Canisius added a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning to take an 8-5 lead. After hitting back-to-back singles, Mihalics and Andrew Wengert (Utica, NY/Proctor) scored on a two-run double by Kingsley to cut the Canisius lead to 8-7. Kingsley would score the game-tying run on an RBI single by Vanhorne.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Buffalo worked the bases loaded on a single by Boom and consecutive walks by Mihalics and Wengert. Boom would cross the plate for the game-winning run when Canisius pitcher Mike Bax threw a wild pitch.

Eric Kelly (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca East) earned his second win of the season in relief. Seamus Barron was charged with the loss.

Buffalo outhit Canisius, 14-8, led by McGraw's three hits. Mihalics, Wengert, Kingsley and Boom each had two hits for the Bulls.

With the win, the Bulls improved to 13-29 on the season. Canisius fell to 3-35. UB will battle Toledo in a weekend series at Amherst Audubon Field beginning on Friday.