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It was a big weekend for Buffalo, and once again UB was able to secure a MAC series win by taking two out of three games against the RedHawks. UB has yet to lose a MAC series and holds a half game lead over Kent heading into the final week of play.
After a rain delay on friday forced a Saturday double header which opened with UB leaving more guys stuck on base than you would find at Fort Bragg. The Bulls broke out the bats for a season-high 19 hits in game one, with all nine position players recording at least one hit. The problem is when those guys got on base, especially in the middle innings, they were unable to push them around for a score.
Mike Mcgee kept UB in the game, holding the RedHawks to three runs on six hits through six and a half innings. Which was enough time for UB to straighten themselves out.
| Game 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo (28-19-0) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 19 | 1 |
| Miami (OH) (22-26-0) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
In the final three innings Buffalo would get their scoring touch. Starting with a two-run eighth inning the Bulls pulled away from Miami. Kanzler and Baldock led off with singles followed byt and a two-out walk drawn by Mestas loaded up the bases. Thomas Richards and Mike Burke hit back-to-back RBI singles that made it 6-3. The team's final run would come in the top of the ninth, when Baldock drove in Mike Scarcello with a single.
The Hawks had their revenge in the night cap. An already weather worn field would suffer another long rain delay but on both sides of the delay Miami piled up runs on UB.
Buffalo allowed Miami to score six unearned. Kanzler remained hot with a solo home run in the first inning, but Miami would score five runs in the third inning and lead from then on.
After falling behind 5-1 Buffalo made a run at Miami with three runs in top top of the fourth.
Miami then opened up their half of the inning with three quick runs before a 58 minute rain delay. When play resumed, the Redhawks scored three more runs in the fourth to break it open to an 11-4 game.
| Game 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo (28-20-0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| Miami (OH) (23-26-0) | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 13 | 12 | 2 |
It was easily the wost outing that Buffalo Pitchers have put up in conference play this season.
Sunday was a do or die game for UB. With Kent just a half game out of first. Buffalo had to recover from the beating that Miami laid down the night before. The Bulls went from one of their worst efforts of the year to their finest, beating Miami by a 12-0 score.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo (29-20-0) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 1 |
| Miami (OH) (23-27-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Jason Kanzler went 2-4 performance with a three-run home run in the top of the third which gave the Bulls all the runs that needed. The opposite-field drive would bring home Mike Scarcello and Tyler Mautner. It was his tenth of the season, making him just the seventh player in program history to hit ten or more in a single season. Kanzler also added his 19th swipe of the season which puts him in third in career steals.
Kanzler was not the only one setting UB records. Burke picked up his seventh win of the season, tied for the second most by any UB pitcher and it sets the post-reinstatement-era record of six that was held by four different Bulls. He also continues to climb the regular season and career record lists in strikeouts and innings pitched along with wins and starts.
UB has a magic number of three with three games left. Buffalo has two at home this week against Saint Bonaventure before finishing up the regular season against Bowling Green.