Falcons Use Early Runs to Soar to 12-3 Win Over Bulls

Aquila and Oliveri each smack two hits for Buffalo

Carl Aquila

BUFFALO, NY - Clinging to its playoff hopes, Bowling Green banged out 15 hits to upend the University at Buffalo baseball team, 12-3, in the first of a three-game Mid-American Conference series at Amherst Audubon Field on a sunny, brisk Friday afternoon.

Rick Oliveri

Entering the series two games back of the sixth and final playoff slot, Bowling Green (25-23 overall, 10-12 MAC) got a big win in the first of the three-game set, as Buffalo (14-33 overall, 4-18 MAC) only managed two hits from senior Carl Aquila (Alden, NY/St. Mary's/Erie CC), who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and sophomore catcher Rick Oliveri (Tonawanda, NY/Canisius), who also went 2-for-4.

The Falcons got on the board immediately, as they got two soft-hit singles with one out in the top of the first inning. After a groundout, Brian Hangbers drove a pitch 415 feet off the football field press box in center field. They continued to score in the second thanks to back-to-back doubles from Ryan Shay and Eric Lawson to plate two more runs.

Two more crossed in the fourth inning as Josh Stewart laced a two-out double to left center to make it 7-0.

After another Bowling Green run in the fifth inning, Buffalo cracked the scoreboard as senior David Amaro (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) doubled to the right field gap to lead off and freshman Jacob Rosenbeck (Medina, NY/Medina) followed with a double that went off a diving first baseman's glove down the right field line. Rosenbeck took third on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch.

Freshman Eric Flynn (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) kept the rally going with a monster shot that hit the top of the left-center field wall 395 feet away that helped him cruise into third. After a strikeout, senior Carl Aquila (Alden, NY/St. Mary's/Erie CC) blooped a liner up the middle that the second baseman reached but couldn't get to first in time to cut the lead to five runs.

Bowling Green put the game away in the seventh, though, as Lawson blasted a two-run homer to left field to cap a four-run inning.

Stewart led the Falcons with his 4-for-5, two-run, three-RBI game that featured a homer and a double, while Lawson went 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs, also including a homer and a double. Ryan Shay had three hits and Andrew Foster and Marty Baird also had two hits.

Alan Brech (4-1) got the win for the Falcons, as he tossed eight innings, allowing seven hits, two walks and three runs. He struck out two.

Dan Francis

Senior Sean McWilliams (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) (3-6) got the loss for the Bulls, allowing eight hits and seven runs in four innings. He struck out one. Freshman Dan Francis (Clarence, NY/Clarence) pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the Bulls to close the game, striking out one and allowing two hits.

The Bulls and Falcons meet again on Saturday at 1:00 pm at Amherst Audubon Field for the second game of the three-game set.

05/12/2006