Phil Vanhorne

BUFFALO, NY - Senior center fielder Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa) moved within five hits of 200 career hits with a single up the middle in the bottom of the sixth inning that scored two University at Buffalo runs and Buffalo pitching held Niagara to just three hits to lead the team to a 5-2 win in a renewal of the Big 4 rivalry at Amherst Audubon Field on a chilly, sunny Tuesday.

Vanhorne went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, his third three-hit performance in the last five games. His biggest hit of the game came in the sixth when he singled home junior left fielder David Amaro (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) and senior right fielder Andy Wengert (Utica, NY/Proctor) after a hit batter, a walk and an error loaded the bases with two outs.

With the win, Buffalo (16-30-1 overall) tied a school-record since reinstatement with 16 wins, tying a mark set in 2002 and 2003. The Bulls also evened their season series with Niagara, to whom they dropped a doubleheader to on April 12 before beating Niagara, 10-3, in the consolation round of the Big 4 Tournament on April 27.

Anthony Marchioli

Senior lefthander Anthony Marchioli (Buffalo, NY/West Seneca West/Erie CC) (1-1), making his first Division I start after serving as a reliever for most of the season, allowed only two hits and one earned run in five innings. He walked three, struck out three and hit one batter.

Niagara (20-26 overall) manufactured a run first, as Chris Leendertse was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the third inning, took second on a sacrifice bunt, third on a groundout and scored on an infield single from Andrew MacDonald.

Buffalo answered in the bottom of the third as Wengert and sophomore third baseman Mike Connelly (Utica, NY/Proctor) each drew walks to lead off. With two outs, senior shortstop Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon-St.Jude) blasted a double that one-hopped the left-center field wall by the 380-foot sign that easily scored both runners and gave UB a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth, the first two batters reached on a walk and a single, but Marchioli reached back to strike out the side to end the threat.

Amaro, who finished 2-for-2 with two runs and a walk, tripled to deep right center with one out in the fourth and after a strikeout, Wengert blooped a Texas Leaguer just in front of the right fielder to give UB a two-run cushion.

An error and two walks led to a Niagara run in the fifth inning, but Marchioli got a grounder and a double play to escape the jam with the lead and qualified for his first Division I win.

Sean McWilliams

Junior Sean McWilliams (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) closed the door on the Purple Eagles, allowing just one hit in the final four innings, as he induced 10 groundouts to the 12 batters he faced. McWilliams tied the school record with his sixth career save for the effort, tying Bill Casbolt (1973-76) and Jim Riedel (1973-76).

Buffalo closes off its Mid-American Conference season with a weekend series with East Division foe Marshall that starts Friday at 3:00 pm at Amherst Audubon Field.