UB senior pitchers Tyler Balentine turned in a very solid performance as he struck out a career high eight batters while allowing three runs against the Bowling Green Falcons on Saturday.
Unfortunately for him and the rest of the Bulls (3-12, 0-2 MAC), he received no offensive support as the Bulls lost their MAC opener to Bowling Green 3-1.
Buffalo left ten runners on base and could only manage one unearned run.
Kyle Knoblauch turned a solid pitching performance of his own for Bowling Green. Knoblauch pitched eight innings, while walking one and striking out five. With the unearned run allowed, Knoblauch still kept his ERA at 0.00 for the season in 21 innings.
Knoblauch was in control the entire game despite having Buffalo runners in scoring position in five of the eight innings.
The only UB run came in the top of the fifth when Andrew Wengert reached on a single to center field before Joe Mihalics laid down a bunt towards first base. Knoblauch's throw to first base was dropped by Spencer Schmitz allowing Wengert to go to third base. He scored in the next at-bat when Phil Vanhorne flew out to right field for a 1-0 Buffalo lead.
The Falcons bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to gain the lead they would not relinquish. With runners on second and third and one out, Nate Henschen reached on a fielder's choice. On the play, UB's shortstop, Mihalics, threw home to catch Nolan Reimold, but his attempt was off target, allowing BGSU to tie the Bulls, 1-1.
Bowling Green took the lead when Henschen was caught trying to steal second base, but Kelly Hunt trotted home for the 2-1 lead on the double steal from third base.
The Falcons added a third run with a solo home run off the bat of David Barkholz in the bottom of the seventh inning. Barkholz was 3-3 in the game.
The Bulls had the tying run at the plate in the top of the ninth but could not take advantage. Neil Schmitz came on in relief of Knoblauch and surrendered a single to the first batter he faced, Wengert. Schmitz, however, recovered to retire the next three UB batters. Mihalics flied out to right field, Vanhorne struck out swinging, and Adrian Daniels grounded out to Schmitz to finish the game.
For the Bulls, Wengert and first baseman Kevin Nesteruk each had three hits, accounting for six of the team's eight in the game. Bowling Green, who snapped a five-game losing streak, had just six hits.
The Falcons and UB had been struggling all season long, looking for big bats to emerge to kick-start their struggling offenses.
On Sunday afternoon at Walter Stellar field, it was only Bowling Green who finally crashed the offensive party.
Bowling Green bats erupted for 15 runs on 14 hits as they romped the Bulls 15-4. Bowling Green got hits from nine different players on Sunday to collect its second win in a row.
"It's just what the doctor ordered," said BGSU head coach Danny Schmitz. "We got the three phases put together today, hitting, pitching and defense."
Bowling Green used four different pitchers with reliever Burke Badenhop collecting the win for the Falcons, pitching two and 2/3 innings while giving up one unearned run and striking out three.
Nick Bellecose got the start for the Bulls and allowed three earned runs on three hits over four innings. The junior hurler dropped to 0-2 on the season.
With Bowling Green taking an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, Buffalo fought back in the top of the third to tie the game up. Daniels drove in the first run with an RBI single and would later tie it up on Bryan Sanchez' RBI groundout.
The tie was short lived for the Bulls, as the Falcons responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth highlighted by a two run double by Bobby Majer.
The Bulls tried to creep closer with a run of their own in the top of the fifth as Daniels drove home his second run of the game to cut it to 5-3.
That was as close as UB would get.
With UB pitcher Dustin Clark in for Bellecose, BGSU exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, ignited by a two run homer by Hunt, the 2002 MAC player of the year. Clark recorded just two outs before being relieved by James Mantsanis. He allowed five earned runs on five hits.
Bowling Green added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning off Mantsanis. The runs, however, were unearned. UB had two out and a chance to get out of the inning but Mihalics committed a fielding error, allowing the inning to stay alive. Two hits later the Falcons held a 12-3 lead.
The Bulls scored their final run in the top of the seventh without recording a hit. Daniels walked, then advanced to third base on two-straight fielder's choice plays, and scored on a passed ball.
Bowling Green scored three earned runs on three hits in the bottom of the seventh inning off the fourth UB pitcher of the day, Jeff Loveys. Loveys compounded his problems by walking one, and new UB catcher David Amaro allowed two passed balls.
Hunt and Majer were the big players for Bowling Green as each drove home four runs on the game. For Buffalo, Daniels was 2-2 with three walks and two RBI. Phil Vanhorne got two hits as well and scored twice for the Bulls.
UB next heads to Akron this weekend for a four game series. Wengert is Buffalo's top hitter with a .382 average. Daniels leads the team in RBI with eight, while Mihalics has scored the most runs with seven. Balentine is the Bulls' No. 1 starter with a 3.75 ERA; none of the team's other starters has an ERA under five.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
