Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
BUFFALO
Bullpens dominate in Buffalo's 6-4 victory over BGSU
April 09, 2005 | Baseball
April 9, 2005
Bowling Green, Ohio - Senior lefthander Keith Laughlin struck out 10 in seven innings of relief and retired 15 Buffalo hitters in a row in one stretch, but Buffalo freshman righthander Tony Kurtz retired all seven batters he faced as the Bulls (10-12, 1-2 in the MAC) held on for a 6-4 win over BGSU (19-8, 4-4 in the MAC) Saturday afternoon at Warren Steller Field. Each team has won a game in the series with the rubber match scheduled for 1 p.m., Sunday at Steller Field.
The Bulls scored four runs, two unearned in the top of the second. Singles by sophomore Dan Quinn and junior Aaron Otto started the inning. Junior David Amaro dropped down a bunt to BGSU pitcher Kyle Knoblauch, but Knoblauch's throw pulled junior Tyler Wasserman off the bag at third to load the bases. Senior Phil Vanhorne singled up the middle to score a run and the Bulls plated another tally when sophomore Al Barbato lofted a sacrifice fly to center to score Otto. Senior John Boom singled to left to score Amaro ending the day for Knoblauch. Buffalo added a run on a single by freshman Mike Folli to score Boom.
The Falcons loaded the bases to start the inning on singles by senior Andy Hudak and sophomore Josh Stewart and a walk to sophomore Josh Dietz. Junior Boby Majer hit a sac fly to center to score Hudak, but Buffalo starter Adam Ruszkowski got Wasserman to end the inning with a double play.
The Bulls upped the lead to 6-1 on a two-run blast to left by Amaro in the top of the third. BGSU responded with two runs of their own in the third. Senior Kevin Longstreth singled to lead off the inning and sophomore Eric Lawson drew a walk. After a sacrifice bunt by senior Jeff Warnock advanced the runners one base, junior Nolan Reimold knocked in Longstretch with a ground ball to third and reached base on a bad throw to first. Hudak hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Lawson to make it 6-3.
Laughlin started the fourth by allowing back-to-back singles but settled in to retire the next 15 batters as BGSU tried to battle back.
In the sixth, BGSU got the first two runners on when Hudak and Stewart singled, but Dietz could not get a bunt down with one strike and struck out a pitch later. Majer hit a single up the middle to load the bases, but Ruszkowski worked out of the jam by inducing the Bulls second double play of the game.
The Falcons would score a run in the seventh however. A two-out rally which started with a single by Warnock and a walk to Reimold produced some offense when Hudak scored Warnock on a hit. That ended the day for Ruszkowski who allowed nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Kurtz came in threw three straight balls to Stewart before the Buffalo reliever settled in and retired the Falcon left fielder on a fly to right on a full count fastball.
Kurtz then struck out the side in the eighth and retired the Falcons in order in the ninth to earn his first career save.
