STAFF REPORTS
news@allwnynews.com
HUNTSVILLE, TX – The University at Buffalo baseball team dropped the second game of a three-game series to the Sam Houston State Bearkats on Friday afternoon by the score of 20-5. With the loss, the Bulls fall to 5-14 on the season while Sam Houston improves to 17-6 overall.
The Bearkats got on the board in the first inning as Clayton Harp connected on a double to right center before coming around to score on Andrew Fregia’s RBI double into the gap in right center field, making the score 1-0 in favor of the home team through one inning.
After a scoreless second inning, the Bulls were able to get on the board in the top of the third inning as they plated a pair of runs. Phillip Tomasulo led off the inning with a single to center before stealing second base while Brian Dudek earned a walk to give UB two runners on. Ben Haefner then dug in and delivered a triple to right center field to plate two Buffalo runners and give the Bulls the 2-1 lead.
Sam Houston State wasted no time regaining the lead in the bottom half of the third inning as they scored three runs to take the 4-2 lead over the visiting Bulls. Their lead was then extended to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning as Lance Miles doubled into right center field to plate Riley McKnight.
Buffalo responded in the top of the fifth with a run of their own to make it 5-3 in favor of the home team. Alex Thrower led off the inning with a triple to deep right center field before coming in to score on Dudek’s groundout to short, his 13th RBI of the season.
The Bearkats scored a run for the third straight inning in the bottom of the fifth as Blake Chisolm doubled to deep center and then came around to score on Hunter Hearn’s single to center field. The home team then added a sacrifice fly and a standup triple to make the score 8-3 in favor of the Bearkats.
The home team put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth inning as they plated five runs to take the dominant 13-3 lead.
Tomasulo opened up the top of the seventh inning with a double down the left field line and then came around to score on a Dudek RBI single to center field. Vinny Mallaro then was able to plate Dudek with a RBI double to deep right field to cut the Bulls deficit to eight, 13-5.
The Bearkats wouldn’t let UB get any closer as they added four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and three runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the dominant 20-5 victory.
Dudek finished off his game going 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored while reaching base safely for the 17th straight game. Haefner went 1-for-5 with two RBI as he extended his career-long reaching base safely streak to 19 straight games. Mallaro notched a multi-hit game, 2-for-4, while collecting one RBI with a double. Tomasulo had a strong day at the dish going 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the loss.
Sam Houston was led offensively by Hunter Hearn who finished off his huge day going 4-for-5 with six RBI and three runs scored while Taylor Beene went 1-for-2 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in the win.
The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Saturday at 4:00 pm as the Bulls will send Shawn Dubin to the mound.
