After reaching an emotional high in their game last Wednesday against Niagara when Al Barbato drilled a game-winning homer, the Buffalo Bulls baseball team looked to continue their clutch hitting against Bowling Green in a three-game series that began last Friday and ended on Sunday.
On Friday afternoon at home in Audubon Field, Barbato stepped up once again, and belted the game-winning hit, which helped UB (7-19, 1-3 Mid-American Conference) beat BGSU (16-7, 4-4 MAC) by the score of 3-2.
Bulls' pitchers Jeff Loveys and Dave Brozyna combined to hold the Bowling Green offense to just two runs on four hits. Loveys took the hill to start, and he pitched seven strong innings, striking out three and allowing the only two runs BGSU would score.
It was a day of firsts, as Loveys won his first game of the season, and Brozyna earned his first career save in two innings of relief, during which he notched two Ks.
Bowling Green got on the board first when cleanup hitter Nolan Reimold belted a moon shot off of Loveys to lead off the second inning, his fourth home run of the year.
"I just had to laugh that one off, there's nothing I could really do about it - once in a while, it just happens," said Loveys of Reimold's bomb.
The Bulls evened the score in the bottom of the second, playing some fundamental baseball. Buffalo cleanup hitter Steve Legrett led off the inning with a hard single up the middle, followed by Chris McGraw who sacrificed him over with a bunt down the first baseline. James Kingsley then hit a sacrifice grounder to short, after which David Amaro singled home Legrett.
The score remained the same until the top of the seventh, when Bowling Green's Jeff Warnock led off the inning with a walk issued by Loveys. He eventually scored on a sacrifice grounder by David Barkholz.
Buffalo came right back in the bottom half, when Amaro led off with a line double to left. He was brought around to score on a double by Brian Zelasko to right-center. Barbato stroked the game-winning single up the middle to score Zelasko, and that was all the offense Buffalo needed.
Barbato, Zelasko, and Amaro each collected two hits in the game.
"I'm just proud of my team because today we did the little things we've been preaching all year so far to get runs - sacrifice bunts, moving runners ahead, and it worked out today," said head coach Bill Breene after the game.
The Buffalo offense was well-balanced, as the bottom third of their lineup got as many hits as the top three hitters (four), and was essential to their team winning the game, as the seventh and ninth hitters crossed the plate for the game-tying and game-winning runs.
"In the Mid-American Conference, hitters one through nine can hit, and when we get production from the lineup top to bottom like we did, we have the opportunity to win games," said Breene.
Dirty Birds Dance Home With Two Wins
Often times during a baseball game, having a power hitter at the plate with a chance to tie the game in a late innings can mean good things for your team, but if he fails to produce then the team's morale can plummet and the game's fate is usually sealed.
UB learned this lesson first hand Saturday, as their rally fell short and Bowling Green took the second game of the series, by a score of 8-5.
Buffalo catcher David Amaro hit a grand slam home run that sent all the fans to their feet, including the basketball team's Yassin Idbihi and Mario Jordan, who were in attendance. The shot to left center field brought the deficit down to one run at 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth.
"The pitch was a fast ball up and in," said Amaro. "I didn't actually see it go over but I felt it off the bat and it felt good."
The comeback was not to be however, as the Falcons tacked on another two runs and pitcher Neil Schmitz struck out two Bulls in the bottom of the ninth to end the Buffalo threat. UB failed to cash in on prime opportunities throughout the game, most notably in the previous inning, where UB failed to drive in Brian Zelasko, who was left stranded on third.
On the game, UB left ten batters on base, a frustrating stat for a game that was decided on the last pitch.
"It's a frustrating loss," said Amaro. "We could have a great conference record. We could easily be 4-0, we contended with every team we've played against. We are just giving wins away."
The visitors jumped on an early 3-0 lead in the second inning, but Buffalo answered right back when Chris McGraw sent a towering hit over the left field wall, a solo shot.
After knocking out starter Mark Tourangeau, the Falcons took no mercy on Sean McWilliams who was lit up for four runs on six hits.
McGraw pitched in relief and was successful in shutting down Bowling Green's batters in the late innings. Five strikeouts gave UB a chance to come back in the game, but sometimes it's just too little too late.
It was more of the same in the final game of the series, as UB fell behind early and never was able to dig themselves out of the deficit in Sunday's finale.
Andy Hudak hit a two run homer in the top of the third inning that put the Falcons ahead 4-2 as they eventually cruised to a 7-2 victory.
Bowling Green jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when Reinhold, who had four hits and scored three runs in the game, knocked in two runs on a single. But UB struck back in the bottom half of the inning as Steve Legrett knocked in an RBI and scored on a BGSU error later on.
Eric Kelly went seven innings for UB, but gave up five runs on 10 hits. He struck out three in taking the loss for UB. Meanwhile, Burke Badenhop went 8.0 innings and allowed two runs to earn the win.
The Bulls host a three-game set against Miami of Ohio starting Friday at 3 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
