Bulls Fall To Golden Flashes In Extra Innings, 2-1

UB and Kent State go 11 innings for second straight game

Rick Oliveri

KENT, OH - The University at Buffalo baseball team dropped an extra-inning decision, falling to Kent State in 11 innings, 2-1, Friday afternoon at Schoonover Stadium. The loss drops UB to 16-34 on the season and 11-15 in conference play. With the victory, Kent State clinched the MAC East division title.

For the second straight day, the Bulls got on the board first, this time recording a run in the top half of the fourth inning. Junior Rick Oliveri (Tonawanda, NY/Canisius) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Nick Walczak (Tonawanda, NY/Kenmore East) from third base who got on to begin the inning with a walk. He moved over to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on an infield single from Brad Agustin (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) before scoring on the hit by pitch.

The Golden Flashes tied the game up in the bottom half of the inning with a leadoff home run to left field, but the Bulls were able to get out of further damage as Kent State had runners on second and third base with one out.

Mark Tourangeau

The two starters were tangled in a pitcher’s duel for the majority of the game, but both walked away with no decisions as each went six innings and allowing just one run. UB starter Mark Tourangeau (Oakville, Ontario/Queen Elizabeth Park) finished the game with four strikeouts.

The two teams went into extra innings for the second time in the series as UB received excellent work in relief from sophomore Dan Francis (East Amherst, NY/Clarence). Francis came on the seventh inning and worked out of a couple of jams to get the Bulls into extra frames. In the bottom of the tenth, UB used excellent team defense, gunning a throw from the outfield home and catching the Kent State runner in a rundown where the Bulls applied the tag to end the inning. Despite picking up the loss, Francis pitched five innings allowing just the one run.

Brad Agustin

Agustin led the Bulls as he 2-for-4 in the game. Junior Mike Folli (Endicott, NY/ Union-Endicott) and Walczak each reached base twice via the free pass as Kent State issued five walks to UB batters plus the hit by pitch, which drove in the UB run.

The Bulls and Golden Flashes wrap up their three-game series tomorrow afternoon with a 1:00 pm first pitch.

05/18/2007