BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo baseball team edged Big Four rival Niagara, 8-6, in a midweek contest on Wednesday afternoon at Amherst Audubon Field. Reliever Jeff Thompson recorded his first career victory in the Bulls' win.
To start the bottom of the second, senior Charlie Karstedt smacked a leadoff home run to deep center field to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead. With two outs, senior Adam Skonieczki also belted a solo shot, this time to left field, extending the Bulls' lead to 3-0.
Trailing 3-0, the Purple Eagles pulled within one off a pair of runs in the top of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, the Purple Eagles would once again pull within a run, 4-3, off a sacrifice fly.
The Bulls extended their lead to 7-3 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, coming off costly fielding plays by Niagara.
Scoring in four consecutive innings, the Bulls created a five-run cushion by the end of the seventh inning, 8-3. Buffalo's lead would be needed in the top of the ninth as Niagara answered with three runs in hopes of a rally, which fell short.
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Karstedt led the Bulls' effort at the plate, going 3-for-4
with a home run and a game-high four runs scored. |
In 2.0 innings of relief work, Thompson (1-0) struck out a pair of batters in his first career victory.
Buffalo (11-10, 1-2 MAC) will travel to Northern Illinois University to face the Huskies in a conference weekend series. Action begins on Friday, April 2 with the first pitch at 4:00 pm ET.