A walk-off homerun is one of the most exciting plays in baseball - except when you have to endure the opposing team corralling a player at home plate after a game-winning bomb.
The baseball team experienced that tough predicament this weekend.
The Bulls (7-3) dropped two of three games this weekend in the Bulldog Invitational in Athens, Ga. Buffalo lost to Georgia (9-6) Friday and Northern Florida (6-7) Sunday on a walk-off homerun in the 12th inning. The Bulls defeated Western Carolina (8-5), 5-4, Saturday.
Head coach Ron Torgalski views the weekend as a learning experience that can only make the Bulls better as the season progresses.
"We played three very good teams this weekend - three high-level teams that are very comparable to [Mid-American Conference] play," Torgalski said. "The disappointing thing is, we had a chance to win three games but we just couldn't finish. I thought it was a great weekend to prepare us for conference play."
Northern Florida centerfielder Alex Bacon hit a walk-off homerun in the 12th inning to give the Ospreys a 4-3 win over the Bulls Sunday. Buffalo trailed 2-0 heading into the ninth inning before senior outfielder Thomas Richards and freshman outfielder Vinny Mallaro combined to drive in three runs and give Buffalo the lead.
But the Ospreys tied the game at three in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
Errors plagued Buffalo Friday against Georgia. Despite the 10-run offensive effort, Buffalo could not overcome five errors in an 11-10 loss to the Bulldogs.
"We only gave up one hit in a five-run inning," Torglaski said. "We gave them five runs, which is disappointing. We gave up a questionable hit, and that changed the momentum of the weekend."
The Bulls led 7-3 going into the top of the fifth inning against Georgia. After junior pitcher Mike McGee surrendered a leadoff walk, the defense allowed two errors that resulted in a five-run inning that changed the momentum of the game.
Despite the disappointing loss, bright spots for the Bulls included a four-RBI performance by sophomore first basemen Tyler Mautner, along with two RBIs by senior outfielder Jimmy Topps.
Saturday, junior pitcher Anthony Magovney had a quality start against Western Carolina with seven strikeouts to improve his record to 2-0 for the season.
Senior infielder Mike Burke had two hits and a pair of RBIs in the Bulls' 5-4 win. Burke also took the mound Sunday against Northern Florida and hurled seven scoreless innings.
The Bulls play their next game Friday against Rutgers (4-8) as part of a three-game weekend at the Virginia Commonwealth University Invitational Tournament.
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Photo: Courtesy of Tal Hamel, Endvisionprod
Photo: Paul Hokanson/UB Athletics
