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Mike Folli

BUFFALO, NY - Central Michigan's offense, which managed just 12 hits in the first two games of the series heated up early in the final game, scoring eight runs in the first two innings to lift Central Michigan to a 12-5 win and a series sweep of the University at Buffalo baseball team in Mid-American Conference action Sunday at Amherst Audubon Field.

Troy Moratti, Central Michigan's leading hitter, got his first hit of the series on the first pitch of the game, tagging a double to the right center field gap. After a walk, Kurtis Wells blasted a fastball to the right of the 400-foot sign in center field, giving Central Michigan a 3-0 lead. Two walks and two singles led to two more runs in the frame.

In the second inning, Wells launched another home run to almost exactly the same spot to give Central Michigan a 7-0 lead and chase his former teammate at Grand Rapids Community College, junior Matt Johnson (Montague, MI/Montague) from the mound. Central Michigan scored one more in the frame.

Buffalo got a run back in the third inning when freshman second baseman Mike Folli (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) doubled to right center field to lead off, take third and score on groundouts.

Two errors led to two more Central Michigan runs in the fifth inning, but Buffalo responded in the bottom of the frame, as senior right fielder Andrew Wengert (Utica, NY/Proctor) and sophomore Mike Connelly (Utica, NY/Proctor) led off with singled up the middle. Folli and senior center fielder John Boom (London, Ontario/Catholic Central) each walked, driving in a run. Another run scored on a groundout.

The Chippewas manufactured another run in the seventh as Ryan Peel doubled, took third on a grounder and scored on a sac fly. Another run came across in the ninth to give the Chippewas a 12-3 lead.

Buffalo scratched two across in the ninth as Folli singled to right with one out, freshman pinch hitter Leo Dandes (Amherst, NY/Nichols) was hit by a pitch and freshman pinch hitter Kevin Nowak (Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga) knocked a single up the middle to score one run. After a strikeout, freshman catcher Rick Oliveri (Tonawanda, NY/Canisius) singled up the middle to score Dandes and round off the scoring.

Moratti led the Chippewas with a 4-for-6 game, two doubles, a run and an RBI. Jim Geldhof went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, Ryan Peel went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs and Bryan Mitzel went 2-for-4 with two runs to pace the Chippewas' 15-hit attack.

Folli went 3-for-4 with two runs and Wengert and Connelly each added two hits to pace the Bulls' offense.

Johnson (3-6) took the loss, pitching 1 1/3 innings and allowing seven runs on five hits and four walks. Jason Cairns (6-5) got the win for Central Michigan, pitching seven innings and allowing eight hits, four walks and three runs. He struck out three.

Buffalo returns to action on Tuesday at Amherst Audubon Field when it caps off its non-conference season with a Big 4 match with Niagara at 4:30 pm.