Mid American Conference Baseball Tournament Buffalo defeats Northern Illinois

Buffalo shook off a round one upset and less than 16 hours later defeated the #3 seed NIU huskies by an impressive 13-0 score. The Bulls offense improved on the energy from their round one loss to Toledo improving from 10 to 13 runs but the difference was pitching.

First team all conference pitcher Mike Burke pitched a complete game four hit shutout lifting the Bulls into the second round to face the loser of the afternoon game between the Toledo Rockets and the Bowling Green falcons.

For four and a half innings the game was felt like it was going to be a pitchers dual.

UB scored a run in the first. MAC player of hte year Jason Kanzler reached on a walk and moved over on a fielding error the very next at bat. After another walk loaded the bases with one our Ryan Tulloch hit an RBI Single

After that is was scoreless until the bottom of the 5th when Alex Baldock opened things up with a home run. Then with one our Tulloch struck again, hitting a ground rule double. Tulloch was brought in by a Jon Mestas Single. Afetr Kyle Mestas stole second, and took third on a wild pitch by Jo Ruckman.

An NIU pitching change with two outs was not enough to stop Scarcello who laid down a bunt to score Mestas and move Figgins to second. Topps was then hit by a Bagley Pitch to load the bases for Kanzler who hit a two RBI double to give UB a 6-0 lead.

The Bulls would add a solo home run in each of the next two innings. In the 6th is was a Mestas solo shot and Kazler went yard in the seventh for his second homer run of the post season.

In the eighth the wheels really came off for NIU as the Huskies hit batters and walked the basses loaded before starting to walk runs in. NIU used five different pitchers in the Inning and the Bulls put up five runs putting the game completely out of reach at 13-0.