Falcons Fly High With 6-3 Win Over Buffalo

Friday, May 18

Buffalo, NY

1:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

20-32, 9-17

University at Buffalo

17-34, 9-16

Bowling Green

Buffalo

May 18, 2012 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Box Score

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Seniors set the tone for the afternoon, and the rest of the team followed on the way to a 6-3 Falcon victory over Buffalo on Friday. Matt Malewitz went 8.1 strong innings for his fifth win of the season, the start being his last collegiately. Seniors Tyler Wynn and Matt Vannett followed, each having RBI hits to get the Falcons on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, sparking the Falcon offense.

The top of the order came up in a big way for the Falcons, as the top four hitters (Patrick Lancaster, Brian Bien, Andrew Kubuski, and T.J. Losby) accounted for 12 of the 16 Falcon hits.

The Falcons got on the scoreboard for the first time in the series when Tyler Wynn's RBI double drove home T.J. Losby to tie the game at one. With two outs, Matt Vannett—making just his second start of the season—would drive home Wynn for the 2-1 lead.

After Buffalo retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth with two runs, the Falcons would take the lead for good in the top of the fifth.

The first four Falcons would reach on singles in the fifth, with four of them being infield singles. The next hitter, Jake Thomas would get hit by a pitch, giving the Falcons the lead for good at 4-3. The Falcons would add on another run in the frame when Kubuski would come in to score on a 6-3 double play.

After a two-out double off of Malewitz in the bottom of the fifth, the senior would proceed to set down the next 11 Bulls hitters. After 122 pitches and a one out walk in the ninth, Malewitz would be lifted for Falcon closer, Nick Bruns. Bruns would come on for the final two outs, getting UB batters to fly out and strike out to end the game.

Malewitz went 8.1 strong innings for the win on Friday, allowing just three UB runs. He also struck out six batters. The outing was the longest of the season for Malewitz, and the second-longest of his career.

Patrick Lancaster set the tone offensively for the Falcons out of the leadoff spot, going 4-for-5 on the afternoon. Bien and Losby both had three hit days, going 3-for-5 on the afternoon. The three-hole hitter, Andrew Kubuski, also had a multi-hit game, as he went 2-for-5 on the afternoon.

With the win, the Falcons pick up their 20th win of the season, and move to 20-32. This is the ninth straight season that the Falcons have had at least 20 wins under head coach Danny Schmitz.

The Falcons and Bulls will close out the series, and the regular season, tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm. The two teams will be jockeying for position in the East Division, as Buffalo will enter the contest just one-half game up on the Falcons.