Thursday afternoon the Bulls baseball team played a two-game-set against the Le Moyne University Dolphins. Buffalo fell in the first game of the double header 6-5 in an epic 14 innings. The Bulls proceeded to drop the second game, 9-6.
Le Moyne opened the first game scoring with two runs in the first inning. The Dolphins went on to score a run in both the second and third innings to take a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third inning the Bulls began their comeback, when sophomore outfielder James Piazza led off the inning with a single and eventually came around to score the Bulls' first run on a passed ball. Later in the inning, sophomore designated hitter Chris Ciesla smoked a single up the middle to bring around two runs for the Bulls, making the score 4-3 in favor of Le Moyne.
Buffalo used four hits in the bottom of the sixth inning to score two more runs, putting Buffalo ahead 5-4. However, Le Moyne quickly struck back, scoring an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game.
The score remained the same into extra innings as neither team could push across a run until the 14th inning. In the 14th, Dolphins' third baseman Chris Crawford singled up the middle and advanced to second on a steal. Following an infield hit, the Dolphins had runners at first and second with no outs. An infield hit on the next pitch tied up Bulls' freshman first baseman Shivam Bhan, causing an errant throw to third base. Crawford came around third on the throwing error, putting the Dolphins up, 6-5.
Following a fly out, Bulls' freshman center fielder Bobby Pizzuto singled with one out in the bottom of the 14th, but would never advance past first base. Two batters later, freshman right fielder Adam Skonieczki grounded out to third base to end the game.
Buffalo freshman pitcher James Flatley pitched six innings, allowing four hits and just one unearned run. Following the seventh inning the Bulls were unable to produce a hit until the final inning.
"It comes to a point where you can say 'we played hard, we competed,' but there comes a time when you have to step up and make the play that's going to win a game," said head coach Ron Torgalski. "Right now we're not doing that... We don't have a guy that can step up and make a play when we need it and that's been our problem all year. Nobody wants to step up and make the play defensively. Nobody wants to make the pitch on the mound and nobody wants to be up there with guys on base and swing the bat. Until our guys believe in themselves and want to be in that position, these things are going to happen to us... We're not going to win a lot of games if we've got guys in the lineup who don't want to make a big play."
In the second game of the day, Le Moyne opened up with a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning when Crawford made it home off of Andy Parrino's sacrifice fly. Buffalo roared back in the third inning with two runs of its own when junior infielder Tony Fuller's double scored sophomore shortstop Brad Agustin and Pizzuto.
The Bulls' 2-1 lead was short lived though as the Dolphins scored eight runs in the fourth. Seven of those came off of freshman starting pitcher Kori Korinek and one from Bhan who came in relief.
"I thought our guys made decent pitches, they had three bloop singles that inning," Torgalski said. "We dropped a ball in right field and it all goes back to if we make the plays we're supposed to make, there is no eight run inning."
A four run rally by Buffalo in the bottom of the seventh proved to be futile as Le Moyne's Al Ondrako picked up the save.
Pizzuto led the team in runs with two and also had two hits in the second game. Also getting two hits in the nightcap was sophomore third baseman Mike Folli as well as Agustin and Fuller.
Crawford led the Dolphins with two runs while starting pitcher Daniel Tunison pitched six full innings allowing seven hits, two earned runs and while striking out two buffalo batters.
"I think there may have been a letdown but we came out in the second game and had a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning," Torgalski said. "I think the guys knew they let one get away. You're a pitch away from winning in seven innings, and you end up playing 14.... I think it made the kids a little more hungry saying 'hey we just let one get away. We didn't get the job done. Let's go out and get this one'."
The Bulls will continue their home stand this weekend when they host Eastern Michigan. The first pitch will be thrown on Friday at 3 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
