STAFF REPORTS
BUFFALO — Cesar Valdez pitched a gem for the Herd to win 10-5 and sweep the Knights Sunday at Coca-Cola Field.
Valdez struck out seven and only allowed 6 hits through seven complete innings to beat Charlotte for the third straight game. His only blemish came in the sixth, after a defensive error and a couple hits, Charlotte scored three runs only one of which was earned. Valdez picked up his second win of the season, giving him a 2-0 record on the year.
Mike Ohlman had a huge day for the Herd. He went 3-5 with a homerun and five RBI. With a 3-0 lead in the fifth, Leblebijian hit a base knock up the middle and Dwight Smith Jr. reached safely on a walk. Mike Ohlman stepped to the plate and blasted a ball over the left field wall. His ninth homer of the season extended the Bisons lead to 6-0.
A leadoff double by Opitz and two walks to Leblebijian and Smith Jr. loaded the bases for the Bisons in the eighth inning. Ohlman drove in two runs with a broken bat single to center, giving the Bisons a 10-3 lead.
In the second, a free pass issued to Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed by an Ian Parmley single, put two runners on for the Herd. Christian Lopes got the scoring started by driving a two-run double to the left-center gap. Shane Opitz singled, with runners on the corners for Jason Leblebijian who delivered the RBI with a single to center, giving the Bisons an early 3-0 lead.
Lopes got himself aboard in the sixth with a base hit to left. After stealing second and an Elmore walk, Leblebijian picked up his third hit of the game allowing Lopes to score from second to make it 7-3.
Buffalo tallied another run in the home half of the seventh. A pair of singles by Ohlman and Saltalamacchia, and a ground out put runners on the corners. Parmley hit a fly ball deep enough for Ohlman to race home on the sacrifice fly and give the Bisons an 8-3 advantage.
Bisons Notes: Jason Leblebijian went 3-4 with two RBI and a walk… Christian Lopes was 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored… Shane Opitz went 2-4 with a run scored… All Bisons hitters reached base safely in the game…Blue Jays outfielder Dalton Pompey made his season debut for the Bisons on a rehab assignment, after returning from the DL with a concussion. He was 1-2 with a single and was replaced in the fourth.
