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Bulls Dash Past Falcons with 11-8 Win
 Brad Agustin |
The loss does little to boost the Falcons' playoff hopes, which after winning the first two game of the three-game set were starting to brighten. However, Bowling Green (26-23 overall, 11-13 MAC) is now stuck two and a half games back of Western Michigan for the final playoff slot in the six-team MAC Tournament with three regular season games remaining.
Agustin led the team with a 3-for-4 performance, scoring four times and driving in one, moving him within one run of UB's freshman record of 41, set last season by freshman Mike Folli (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott). He is also just four runs shy of Pat Raimondo's school record of 44 set in 1980.
 Rick Oliveri |
Oliveri went 1-for-1, with his lone at bat of the day being a second-inning single. Ironically, the catcher scored three times, but not after the single, as he walked twice and was hit by a pitch, scoring each time. The eight-hitter raised his average to .342 (13-for-38) on the year.
 James Kingsley |
Senior James Kingsley (Medina, NY/Medina) also inched closer to another UB career record, as he snapped a two-game hitless stretch by posting three hits in five at bats. He drove in three to give him 135 in his career, just one shy of the career mark set by Bryan Sanchez from 2000-03. Kingsley has already become just the second player in UB history to reach 200 career hits and 25 career home runs this season as well as setting career marks in total bases and doubles.
 Matt Johnson |
The Bulls (14-35 overall, 5-19 MAC) got a gutsy performance on the hill from senior Matt Johnson (Montague, MI/Montague/Grand Rapids CC) (1-6), who tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three walks. He gave up five runs, but four were unearned as he struck out four. At one point, he retired eight Falcons in a row after giving up two runs in both the first and second innings, with all runs crossing unearned.
Buffalo, after falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, answered back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning, as freshman Eric Flynn (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) took second on a dropped fly ball to lead off. Agustin followed with a single to center, sending Flynn to third. A wild pitch advanced the runners and another moved Agustin to third. After a strikeout, Kingsley drove in the shortstop with a liner to center field.
After two more Bowling Green runs in the second, Buffalo began to chip away in the third, as Agustin led off with a single. After a groundout moved Agustin to second, Kingsley delivered his 48th career double to the right-center field gap making it 4-3.
The Bulls took the lead in the fourth, as Oliveri led off with a walk and sophomore designated hitter E.J. Folli (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) laid down a sac bunt, but the throw to first was high, as Folli crossed the bag before the leaping first baseman could come down with it, chasing Bowling Green starter Marty Baird (2-3) from the hill. After a popout, Agustin delivered a single through the right side, scoring Oliveri. A fielder's choice cut down Folli at third, but Kingsley followed with his third hit, a single to left that scored Agustin to give the Bulls a 5-4 lead.
 Carl Aquila |
Buffalo rallied for four more in the fifth, as Oliveri walked with one out. After a strikeout, Flynn was hit by a pitch and Agustin was walked to load the bases. Senior Carl Aquila (Alden, NY/St. Mary's/Erie CC) delivered with a two-run single to left field, giving the Bulls a three-run cushion. Kingsley reached on an error to reload the bases and Mike Folli followed with a line single into right field scoring another Buffalo run. Senior David Amaro (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) delivered an infield single that scored Aquila before a popout ended the inning.
The Bulls got back to work in the sixth, as Oliveri was hit by a pitch. After a sacrifice bunt, Flynn delivered an opposite field double to right field to make it 10-4.
Bowling Green cut into the lead in the seventh scoring a run thanks to a single to right field from Josh Stewart that chased Johnson from the hill. Two more runs crossed in the eighth to make it 10-7, and the Falcons put runners on the corners with one out, but sophomore Shane Wolf (Freeville, NY/Lansing) got a huge out when he turned a 2-0 count into a 3-2 count before getting Stewart, who was 7-for-10 in the first two games of the series, to pop out to third base.
 Eric Flynn |
The Bulls got an insurance run in the eighth, as freshman Jacob Rosenbeck (Medina, NY/Medina) singled to right to lead off. After a sac bunt and a ground out helped Rosenbeck to reach third, Flynn singled to left field to make it 11-7.
Buffalo had some trouble closing the game in the ninth, as freshman Steve Geltz (Ransomville, NY/Wilson) allowed a single and two walks to load the bases after getting only one strikeout. He was relieved by freshman Dan Francis (Clarence, NY/Clarence), who balked one run in before settling down to get a short flyball to center and then striking out the last batter on a backdoor 2-2 curveball to earn his first collegiate save. He threw 2/3 of an inning, striking out one.
Flynn finished 2-for-5 with a double, two runs and two RBIs and Mike Folli and Amaro each went 2-for-5 with an RBI for the Bulls. Stewart once again paced the Falcons, going 3-for-4 with a double, a run and two RBIs. Chris Gacom, Kurt Wells and Mike Barnard also had two hits for the Falcons.
Baird drew the loss, pitching three innings and allowing seven hits, one walk and five runs, four earned. He struck out one.
The Bulls get back into action on Wednesday as they travel to Niagara for a 6:00 pm non-conference game at Sal Maglie Stadium.
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