STAFF REPORTS
BUFFALO — Down two in the seventh, Buffalo’s offense exploded with a pair of big rallies to take down Charlotte, 9-4, on Friday night at Coca-Cola Field. The Herd scored four times in the seventh and three more times in the eighth to earn the blowout win.
Entering the seventh trailing 4-2, Bisons Jason Leblebijian lead things off with a triple off the right field wall. Ian Parmley hit a soft ground ball to the first baseman to bring home Leblebijian from third, making it a one-run deficit. With two outs Jonathan Diaz hit the second triple of the inning down the first baseline to put the tying run 90-feet away. With the infield in, Shane Opitz hit a ground ball up the middle to knot the game at four.
A passed ball charged to Knights catcher Carson Blair put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Jake Elmore then delivered with a single to right to give the Bisons the lead. After Elmore stole second, Mike Ohlman brought in the run with a double to left-center giving the Herd a 6-4 advantage.
Catcher Raffy Lopez kept it going in the eighth leading it off with a double to right. After advancing to third on a ground out, Parmley smashed a doubled to left to extend the Bisons lead 7-4. A passed ball and a walk put runners on the corners for Lopes who came through with an RBI single up the middle. A wild pitch by Max Beatty followed by a walk to Elmore loaded the bases for Ohlman, who drew another free pass to bring home the Bisons’ eight run.
The Bisons actually trailed 4-0 early before cutting the deficit in half in the fifth. An error by the Knights second baseman, followed by a walk to Ian Parmley an Diaz getting plunked loaded the bases for the Herd. Opitz stepped to the plate delivering the RBI single. With the bases still loaded, Christian Lopes brought home a run on a sac fly to center cutting the Knights lead in half 4-2.
Matt Dermody earned the win pitching just one inning and striking out the side.
Bisons Notes: Shane Opitz 2-3 with two RBI, two runs scored and a walk… Jake Elmore 2-4 with a RBI, walk and run scored… Every Bisons batter recorded a hit except Jarrod Saltalamacchia… six Bisons hitters reached base with a walk.
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