McWilliams Flashes Good Stuff to Down Kent State, 5-3, on Senior Day

Kingsley reaches 70 hits for second time in his career to help Bulls win

Sean McWilliams

BUFFALO, NY - It was a day for the underdogs on Saturday afternoon at Amherst Audubon Field, as the last-place University at Buffalo baseball team beat Mid-American Conference outright champion Kent State, 5-3, in both teams' regular season finale on Senior Day for Buffalo.

Senior Sean McWilliams (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua) (4-6), armed with his arsenal of a low 80s fastball and a devastating slider, capped off his career in fine fashion, pitching eight innings of beguiling baseball, allowing 10 hits, three walks and three runs. He struck out four in the game, but more importantly, he stranded nine Kent State (35-17 overall, 19-7 MAC) runners, three at third.

Steve Geltz

Freshman Steve Geltz (Ransomville, NY/Wilson), a slight, 5-10, 165 pounds, set the UB single-season save mark, as he tossed a perfect ninth, facing three batters hitting above .300, including future MLB draft picks Emmanuel Burris and Drew Saylor, striking out one to close the game. He passed Bill Casbolt (1977) and Mike Klym (1974) with his fifth save of the season.

Mike Folli

The Bulls (15-37 overall, 6-21 MAC) took the lead in the bottom of the fifth, as freshman Eric Flynn (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) drew a two-out walk. Sophomore Mike Folli (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) lined a two-out double into right field that rolled to the wall three pitches later, helping Flynn score easily.

James Kingsley

Buffalo put together another rally in the sixth inning, as Kingsley singled through the right side and junior Dan Quinn (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) followed with a double off the base of the right field wall. Freshman Brad Agustin (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) drove in senior James Kingsley (Medina, NY/Medina) with a sac fly to left. After another popout, Oliveri delivered a huge single through the 5.5 hole, giving UB a 5-2 lead.

The Flashes rallied back in the eighth inning, as Andrew Davis led off with a double. After a flyout, Will Vazquez singled him in and Andrew Patton followed with a single, but McWilliams got pinch-hitter Brad Winter to ground into a groundball double play, with Kingsley making a beautiful scoop of a low throw to end the inning.

Aaron Otto

Senior Aaron Otto (Lockport, NY/Newfane), who has appeared in just 50 career games, helped the Bulls to the first run as he blasted a double to left center that moved sophomore Rick Oliveri (Tonawanda, NY/Canisius) to third after he led off the third inning with a single. Oliveri scored on a groundout.

The Golden Flashes answered back with a two-run fourth inning, as Kurt Eichorn keyed the runs with his double.

Kingsley led off the bottom of the fourth with his 50th career double, a shot to right center and he tied the game as Quinn lifted a blast that hit the base of the left-center field wall, going for a double.

Kingsley finished his season with a career-high .343 average as he went 2-for-3 with two runs, becoming the first player in school history to wrap 70 hits in a season twice in his career, reaching the plateau with his final hit.

Dan Quinn

Quinn went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run and an RBI and Oliveri went two-for-4 with a run and an RBI for the Bulls.

Andrew Davis went 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI to lead the Flashes, who had eight batters get a hit in the game.

McWilliams got two double plays in the game to last eight innings, which gives him 88 on the season, the second-most in school history. His 66 strikeouts this season are tied for sixth in school history with Jon Roth (1972) and his 136 career strikeouts are the seventh-most in UB's annals.

J.J. Pacella (5-1) took the loss for Kent State, who now will get set to host the MAC Tournament starting Tuesday, allowing three runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked one.

Seniors David Amaro (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott), Carl Aquila (Alden, NY/St. Mary's/Erie CC) , Matt Johnson (Montague, MI/Montague), Matt Larson (Canandaigua, NY/Pomona), Kingsley, McWilliams and Otto were honored in a ceremony before the game for their contributions to UB baseball.

05/20/2006