Through wind, rain, sleet or snow, this game was being played.
Powerful is typically not the way to describe the Bulls' lineup. In the first 21 games of the season the Bulls hit only one home run. Wednesday, the team turned on the juice at the plate, hitting three home runs in the game. However, the Bulls (2-20, 1-5 Mid-American Conference) could not limit Canisius on the scoreboard as the Golden Griffins (6-22, 1-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) overcame the Bulls' power surge to win handily, 11-5.
"It's a small park and the wind was blowing out," said head coach Ron Torgalski. "If you hit it pretty good and got it up in the air you had a chance. It was a very windy day and it was a small ball park."
Sophomore designated hitter Chris Ciesla slammed two of the Bulls' home runs, and junior catcher Rick Oliveri added the third.
"The older guys have been fine as far as the leadership aspect goes," Torgalski said. "They've been doing everything we've asked of them. We just need more guys to step up."
The game was a rematch of last season's infamous brawl between Canisius and Buffalo, which was won by the Griffins, 12-4.
Canisius jumped on the Bulls early and never looked back. The Griffs opened the game scoring in the bottom of the first inning with three runs on three doubles and a single.
In the top of the second, the Bulls were able to get on the board. Ciesla slammed the first of his two solo home runs to make the score 3-1 in favor of Canisius.
The Golden Griffins immediately responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on four hits to extend their lead to 5-1.
After a scoreless third inning, the Bulls experienced a little d?(c)j?Ae vu as Ciesla belted another solo home run in the top of the fourth to bring the Bulls within three. Canisius added one run in the bottom frame to make the score 6-2.
The score remained unchanged heading into the sixth inning when the Bulls exploded with a three-run inning to pull within a run of the Griffins.
Ciesla opened the sixth with a single and came around to score due to two Canisius throwing errors. Later in the inning, with two outs and one runner on, junior catcher Rick Oliveri belted a two run shot to left field bringing the Bulls to within a run at 6-5.
From there, Canisius went into cruise control. The Griffs began the bottom of the sixth inning with two doubles and a walk. With one run already scored and two men on base, Canisius buried the Bulls.
Golden Griffins third baseman Kevin Mahoney hit a homerun to dead center field, followed by another Canisius run in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 11-5.
Buffalo made things interesting in the ninth inning. The Bulls loaded the bases with no one out. After a strike out and a fly out to first base, sophomore outfielder Eric Flynn came into the game to pinch hit. Flynn sent a rocket to the warning track in center field, but it fell short of a grand slam on the warning track, giving the Griffs the 11-5 victory.
"Today I saw a couple of guys whose approach was not good especially with runners in scoring position," Torgalski said. "If we are going to be a good team, because we are young, we need to have a good approach at the plate every time we walk out there. I was disappointed in a few guys today because I didn't think their approach was good. They just didn't do what they needed to do today."
Ciesla and Oliveri's were not the only Bulls to have big days at the plate. Junior first baseman Nick Walczak finished the day 3-4 with a double and a run scored. Sophomore left fielder James Piazza added two hits for the Bulls, who as a team finished the day with 12 hits.
Buffalo freshman starting pitcher James Flatley was chased from the game after giving up eight hits and five earned runs in only two innings. A big day at the plate didn't help Ciesla on the mound in relief of Flatley. In three innings, Ciesla gave up five hits, two walks and five earned runs. Buffalo will travel to Toledo for a three game series beginning on Friday. The Bulls are in search of their second MAC victory of the season.
"We need to get some quality pitching," Torgalski said. "We need to do some good situational hitting and we need to play defense. I think if we do that we have opportunities to win. We're 1-5 in conference but we've played two of the top three teams and we've played with them for all but two or three out of 54 innings. We have to continue to play with that intensity in the league games. If we play with the intensity we've had the last two conference weekends, if we get the pitching that we've had the last two weekends, it will give us an opportunity to win."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
