STAFF REPORTS
news@allwnynews.com
NORMAN, Okla. – The University at Buffalo baseball team dropped their fourth straight to the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday afternoon by the score of 5-1. With the loss, the Bulls are now 4-9 on the season while the Sooners improved to 17-2 overall.
The Bulls threatened to score in the first inning as Jeff Palczewski walked and Ben Haefner singled to give UB two runners on with only one out. The next two batters were retired as the Bulls couldn’t cross a run across home.
The Sooners struck for the first runs of the game in the second inning as they collected a RBI single to center from Brylie Ware and a RBI double down the left field line by Quin Walbergh to give Oklahoma the 2-0 edge early on.
After three straight scoreless innings by both teams, the Sooners extended their lead to 4-0 as Blake Brewster drove in a pair of runners with a single up the middle. Logan Harasta was able to strikeout the final batter of the inning to keep the Bulls deficit to four.
Brian Wasilewski reached on a fielder’s choice in the top of the seventh inning and Kyle Brennan brought him around to score with a RBI double to deep left center field, extending his team-best hitting streak to 11 straight games. UB had runners on the corners looking to cut into the 4-1 Sooners lead but Connor Regan struck out to end the seventh.
After Harasta struck out the side in the bottom half of the seventh, UB threatened to cut into the Sooners lead once again in the eighth. Alex Thrower and Haefner walked before Vinny Mallaro was hit by a pitch to load the bases but Wasilewski couldn’t produce in the big spot as he struck out looking to end the inning.
The Sooners tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth to make the Bulls deficit four, 5-1, and the Bulls weren’t able to score any runs in the top of the ninth as they fell 5-1.
The UB offense only produced four hits as Brennan led the way with a double and a RBI. Haefner went 1-for-3 with a walk and he has now reached base safely in all 13 games this season. Mallaro and Phillip Tomasulo were the only other UB players with a hit as they each collected singles.
Shawn Dubin had a strong start on the mound but it wasn’t enough to earn the win as he went 5.2 innings while allowing five hits, two earned runs and struck out three batters. In relief, Harasta went 1.2 innings while allowing two hits, one earned run and four strikeouts.
The Bulls will return to the diamond on Friday night at 8 p.m. as they travel to UTRGV for a four-game series.
