STAFF REPORTS
The Bisons could not have a more fitting reliever to make a spot start in front of 16,647 at Coca-Cola Field on Independence Eve.
Chris Rowley took the ball after Mike Bolsinger was promoted to the Blue Jays and struck out six to lead the Herd to a 6-2 victory over the Syracuse Chiefs on Monday night. Making his first career Triple-A start and only fourth appearance with the Herd, Rowley worked five innings and yielded just three hits for his first win with the team.
Rowly, a 2013 graduate the US Military Acedemy at West Point, is just two years removed from 30 months of active duty in the US Army. His service time includes a tour in Bulgaria as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
“Two years ago today I was [deployed] in Germany and I was getting excited to come back. Now, today we were able to get a win and had some good defense behind me,” Chris Rowley said.
Buffalo scored all six of their runs in the first inning as the first seven batters of the game reached base. It took just four pitches for the Bisons to strike.
Dwight Smith Jr. led off the home half with a single up the middle. Jon Berti stepped into the box and ripped a double to the right field corner allowing Smith to score all the way from first. After Michael Sanders reached on a walk, Rowdy Tellez worked a 12-pitch at-bat that ended with a double off the left field wall scoring both runners. Another free pass issued to Mike Ohlman, set up Raffy Lopez who dropped in a single to score Tellez. Still with no outs, Gregorio Petit added a single of his own to bring home Ohlman. With runners now on the corners, Roemon Fields joined the hit parade by driving a single to right scoring Lopez. Buffalo sent 11 batters to the plate as they attacked for an early 6-0 advantage in the first.
The Bisons salvaged the final game of the series with the Chiefs after losing the first three. Buffalo ended their home stand going just 2-9. They will look to reverse their fortune as they hit the road to take on Scranton Wilkes-Barre Tuesday night on the Fourth of July
Bisons Notes: Raffy Lopez was 2-4 with a RBI and run scored… Rowdy Tellez went 1-4 with two RBI and a run scored… Michael Sanders and Shane Opitz were the only Buffalo hitters without a hit… The Bisons had six hits in the first inning but only recorded two in the remaining eight innings.
