After sweeping Marshall the last time the two squads competed in May of 2005, Marshall returned the favor defeating the Bulls in four straight this weekend.
The Bulls (1-6) are currently on a six game skid having lost four this past weekend to the Thundering Herd (6-2). The teams played two double-headers at Epling Field in West Virginia, where they struggled at the plate and lacked consistency from their starting rotation.
In the first game of the series, Buffalo showed some offensive firepower scoring eight runs in the first two innings. The bats proceeded to disappear after the second inning though, as the Bulls posted only two hits and struck out 10 times the rest of the game.
"The guys were tentative at the plate and they faced a very good, experienced, Marshall pitching staff," said Buffalo baseball head coach Ron Torgalski.
The Bulls started junior pitcher Chris Ciesla, who threw 4 1/3 innings, and allowed eight runs, seven hits, four walks and hit two batters. This led to Marshall rallying back from a five run deficit to earn the victory in the bottom of the 10th on a game winning single. The final was 9-8 with Buffalo senior pitcher Mark Tourangeau getting the loss, and Marshall's Andrew Blain getting the win.
The second game was more of the same from the Bull's offense, as the team totaled no runs, two hits, and nine strikeouts in the 1-0 loss. Buffalo senior pitcher Mike Radanovic went 6 1/3 innings for the loss, allowing the only run scored in the game. Marshall again emerged victorious on a walk-off single, this time in the seventh inning. Marshall's Mark Dobies threw a complete game shutout including nine strikeouts earning the win.
A bright spot for the Bulls in the first two games was second baseman junior Mike Folli, who went 4-7 with two runs batted in for the day. Folli is presently batting .346 and leads the team with five stolen bases.
"Mike has a great approach," Torgalski said. "He works pitchers deep in the count consistently and is patient at the plate."
The Bulls were shutout 1-0 for the second consecutive time in their first game on Sunday. The offense continued to stall producing just five hits, which were all singles, and struck out 13 times. Buffalo did get a solid outing from pitcher senior Adam Ruszkowski. The right-hander threw a one-run complete game, allowing just four hits and striking out four in the loss.
"Ruszkowski put us in a position to win the game by doing his part," Torgalski said. "We just didn't take advantage when we needed to most."
The Bulls finally broke their frightful 24-inning scoreless draught with an RBI single from sophomore third baseman Jacob Rosenbeck in the first inning of the fourth and final game of the series. Buffalo then added a run in the second on a sacrifice fly from sophomore catcher Devin Greeno. Buffalo's final run of the game again came off of Rosenbeck, who went 2-3 with two RBIs. Despite the Bulls managing to score a few runs, it was not enough as the Marshall offense exploded for nine runs on 12 hits. Sophomore pitcher James Flatley received the loss, while Marshall's Ryan Kiel got the win in the 9-3 final.
"Our pitching and defense did a great job this weekend," said Marshall head coach Jeff Waggoner in a press release. "They played hard every game, and we did the little things well. It is great to pick up four wins."
Expect head coach Torgalski to experiment with his lineup, giving everyone on the roster a solid shot to produce on the field.
"I told my guys from day one that I'm going to be trying different guys in different roles in order to find the best lineup to prepare for the MAC season." Torgalski said.
On deck for the Bulls is the Temple Owls (2-4). The three game series will be played March 9-11 with all games starting at 1 p.m. in Philadelphia, Penn.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
