NCAA Baseball - Ball State and Buffalo split series

In a weather shorted series Buffalo split a two game set with the Ball State Cardinals. It was a wild series in which a game called for darkness on Friday let Mike Burke pick a win and a loss on the same day.

Game 1

Game one saw everything go wrong for Buffalo early on. Mike McGee was unable to consistently find the strike zone and when he did Ball State made him pay. The Cardinals would run out to a quick 8-0 lead after three innings, chasing UB starter Mike McGee after just 1.2 innings pitched and ultimately laying down nine more runs against reliever Ben Hartz who made it just 2.2 innings.

A weather delay half way though the third gave the Bulls some time to collect themselves and UB emerged from the break with their first run. The run was walked in after three other Bulls got a free pass at the plate. Jimmy Topps reached on a wild pitch off a swinging third strike, then three straight walks to Nick Sinay, Matt Pollock and Thomas Richards.

Buffalo finally brought out their bats in the 4th inning.  UB got their first hit of the game with one out in the fourth, as Tanner Robinson would get an opposite-field single to start the team off. Then Mike Scarcello would double immediately after and Topps would score both runners with a single.

Nick Sinay followed immediately with a home run to left field and the Bulls would trail by just three, 8-5.

Mike Burke hit a solo shot to lead off the home half of the fift and the cardinals answered in the top of te sixth with a run of their own sending the game into the bottom of the sixth with UB down 13-6.

After pitching 2.1 good innings freshman Brent Cleland handed the game off to Kevin Hughes while the Bulls chipped away at the Ball State lead.

In the bottom of the 6th the first three UB Batters reached base to load the bases with no outs, and then once again Richards draw the bases-loaded walk. Mike Burke, during his batting portion of the game, hit a soft liner to right field which wsa mishandled by Ball state, bringing in a second UB run. Later in the inning a fielder's choice would make it a 13-9 game.

In the seventh Tyler Mautner would hit a sacrifice fly and it was a 13-10 game, then in the next inning a Burke single was followed by a Robinson drive which got picked up by the win and found it's way over the fence.

In the bottom of the ninth two singles, followed by two wild pitches tied the game. With the sun going down and the poor lighting at the field UB and Ball State put off the extra innings until Saturday.

Mike Burke took the mound in the continuation of game one. In the bottom of the 11th Mautner and Chris Kwitzer hit singles with one out to bring up Burke, who hit a double over the right fielder's grasp to bring in Mautner for the instant win.

Game two

In the second game of the series Mike Burke tried to get two ins in a game, sadly for Buffalo the offense did not show up and the Cardinals rolled to a 5-1 win.

After BSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third the UB offense was able to answer right back. Tanner Robinson led off with a single, followed by Chris Kwitzer who draw a walk. A sacrifice bunt from Mike Scarcello put them both into scoring position, and after the top of the lineup rolled around both runners would come home on RBI singles by Jimmy Topps and Nick Sinay.

Unfortunately for UB that was all the offense they could muster. Ball State got the eventual game winning run in the top of the 4th.

Magovney was solid in relief for Buffalo but with no offense to speak of BSU cruised the rest of the game.

Buffalo next plays a double header at St. Bonaventure then heads to Central Michigan next weekend to continue conference play.