University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: April 24, 2003

Baseball

St. Bonaventure 20-7, UB 6-5
Miami 12, UB 8
Miami 9-9, UB 1-5 (10 innings, second game)
Miami 19, UB 7

Strong winds dictated play in UB's doubleheader loss to St. Bonaventure on Wednesday afternoon at Amherst Audubon Field. Stiff winds were blowing and proved to be a major factor as the Bonnies won the first game 20-6 and took the second game 7-5. The story of game one was the play of St. Bonaventure outfielder Mike Rapacioli. The senior clean-up hitter went 5-for-6 with a home run, two doubles and eight RBIs. He was one of seven batters to collect at least two hits for the Bonnies. As a team, St. Bonaventure pounded out 23 hits. The Bulls were led by Phil Vanhorne, who was a perfect 3-for-3, including a triple, two runs scored and two RBIs. Adrian Daniels finished 2-for-3 and launched his second home run of the season. Joe Mihalics went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the nightcap for UB.

The Bulls were swept in a four-game series with Mid-American Conference rival Miami over the holiday weekend. In Friday's opener, the Bulls staged a late rally but fell short, 12-8, against the RedHawks. Buffalo outhit Miami, 16-13, in the game. Mihalics, Brandon DiCesare, Adrian Daniels and Kevin Nesteruk all tallied three hits for UB.

Miami swept the Saturday doubleheader. The RedHawks won the first game, 9-1, and came from behind to win game two, 9-5, in 10 innings. The Bulls' lone run of the first game came in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single by DiCesare that scored Brian Zelasko.

In game two, the Bulls took a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning before Miami rallied for two runs and spoiled a solid outing by UB starter Nick Bellacose. The Bulls managed to tie the game, 4-4, in the bottom of the ninth, but the RedHawks pounded out five runs in the top of the 10th inning to earn the 9-5 victory. The Bulls opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Vanhorne scored on an RBI single by DiCesare. Brian Canada launched a two-run home run in the top of the second inning to give Miami a 2-1 lead. The Bulls tied the contest in the sixth inning when DiCesare scored on a balk by Miami pitcher Graham Taylor. UB took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning compliments of an RBI single by James Kingsley that scored Vanhorne.

However, in the ninth inning, the RedHawks got a clutch double from Michael Carlin that tied the game and an RBI single by John Slone that gave Miami a 4-3 lead. The Bulls rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth when David Amaro's grounder was misplayed by shortstop Zach Schmidt, allowing Mihalics to score. Miami played small ball to gain its five runs in the 10th inning as all six of the RedHawks' hits were singles.

Buffalo (8-25, 3-11) dropped the getaway game of the series, 19-7, on Sunday afternoon. Miami batted around and scored six runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. The RedHawks pounded out 20 hits and all but one of their starters had at least one RBI. Michael Carlin and Zach Schmidt each drove in three runs. Carlin hit his conference-leading 14th home run in the seventh inning and became Miami's career-leader in home runs. Buffalo scored four runs in the sixth inning. Mihalics hit a triple that scored Vanhorne and extended his hitting streak to 11 games. The sophomore outfielder later scored on a sacrifice fly by DiCesare to cut the lead to 12-2. Bryan Sanchez added another run when he launched his team-best fourth home run of the season. Daniels capped the scoring in the fourth with an RBI single that scored Nesteruk and made the score 12-4. After Miami scored five runs in the top of the seventh, Buffalo added another three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Mihalics drove in John Boom and, later, David Amaro ripped a double that scored Vanhorne. The Bulls' third run of the inning came compliments of an RBI single by Jordan Alcott that plated Mihalics.

Softball

UB 9-6, Canisius 1-4
UB 2, Central Michigan 0
Central Michigan 5-7, UB 2-0

The softball team took the opening game of a three-game weekend series against the defending Mid-American Conference champion Central Michigan, silencing the Chippewas in a 2-0 shutout on Friday afternoon. Sophomore pitcher Stacey Evans pitched a three-hitter and RBI-singles by junior Allison Round in the fifth inning and freshman Lauren Picciano in the sixth inning proved to be all that the Bulls would need to earn the impressive victory. The Chippewas advanced a runner to second base in the bottom of the seventh, but Evans got Natalie de la Vega to fly out to center field to end the game and pick up her ninth win and fifth shutout of the season.

CMU took both ends of Saturday1s doubleheader, 5-2 and 7-0. Junior Breanne Nasti led the Buffalo offense with three hits on the afternoon, including a 2-for-3 performance with a double and one run scored in game one. Senior Kelly Malone doubled to drive in Nasti with the first run of game one in the fourth inning, and the Bulls then went up 2-0 in the sixth on a solo home run to right field by Round, her first of the season, but the Chippewas put five runs across the plate in the bottom of the sixth to earn the come-from-behind win. Senior Andrea Sage suffered the loss for the Bulls despite giving up just one earned run on five hits while striking out seven.

Buffalo played two solid games to earn a doubleheader sweep of local rival Canisius College at the UB Softball Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulls exploded for nine runs in the final three innings of game one for a 9-1 win before using a five-run third inning to overcome a two-run deficit in the nightcap, finally taking that game by a 6-4 margin. Junior Breanne Nasti led the Bulls' offense on the afternoon with a combined 3-for-4 performance from the plate with three runs scored and two RBIs. Junior Marce Ross and senior Jessica Kensy also drove in two runs apiece, and freshman Lauren Picciano was 3-for-6 with two runs scored on the afternoon. Sophomore pitcher Stacey Evans struck out eight batters in the opening game of the doubleheader against Canisius to break her own school record for strikeouts in a season. Evans now has 112 strikeouts on the year after recording 101 strikeouts all of last season in her freshman campaign. Evans is also UB1s career strikeout leader with 213 Ks.

Tennis

WOMEN'S

Ball State 6, UB 1
Bowling Green 6, UB 1

The women's tennis team dropped a pair of 6-1 decisions over the weekend to close out the regular season. UB fell to Ball State in Friday's opener and then lost to Bowling Green on Saturday, dropping the team to 6-13 overall and 0-9 in league play.

Friday's match at Ball State produced a singles victory by freshman Kristen Ortman. Ortman rolled to a straight sets victory over BSU's Jenny Batty, 6-3, 6-4, in the second singles match. Ortman leads UB with a 12-10 singles record and is 4-5 against MAC competition. She has also won three of her last five matches, all against MAC opposition.

In Saturday's loss at Bowling Green, sixth singles player Wendy Rose registered the lone UB victory. Rose disposed of the Falcons' Lindsey Mix in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, giving her seven singles victories this season. The seven singles wins ties Rose for second place on the team with Michelle Kollarova.

Outdoor Track and Field

Bulls win Chancellor's Cup titles

The men's and women's track-and-field teams emerged victorious Saturday afternoon at the UB Chancellor's Cup meet at UB Stadium.

The men's team scored 258.50 points to easily outdistance second-place Syracuse at 144.50. Erie Community College placed third at 115, followed by Fredonia State (34), Binghamton (16) and Canisius (3). The UB women tallied 299.50 points with Syracuse taking second with 220. Fredonia State (24), Erie Community College (17), Binghamton (16) and Canisius (15.50) trailed far behind.

Two women's records and two men's records were set at the meet by the Bulls. The most impressive was by Meagan Rogers in the javelin throw. Rogers won the event with a mark of 124-1 (37.82m), breaking the old mark of 121-1 (36.90m) set in 1988 by Ellen Haas, the longest standing record for UB women's track and field. Rogers also tied for first in the high jump at 5-2.50 (1.59m). Pole vaulter Laura Olson also improved on her own record by taking first with a mark of 13-0.25 (3.97m), more than six inches better than her marks earlier this season and nearly three feet higher than the second-place finishers.

On the men's side, Keith Gentes broke the hammer record at 190-7 (58.10m) to better the old mark of 186-3 (56.78m) set by Rashidi Greene in 1999. Gentes won the event by more than 30 feet ahead of teammate Byron McKinney, who placed second. Dan Simpson broke the 1999 pole vault record of Jason Liddle with a height of 15-10 (4.83m).

Other women's winners included Biaunca McFarland in the triple jump at 41-5 (12.62m), Faith Thompson in the shot put at 45-2.25 (13.77m), Jenelle Callender in the 400-meters in 56.19 and Kate Kohout in the 800-meters in 2:16.26. The women's squad also took the 4x400-meter relay in 3:56.15.

Joe Clark won a pair of men's events, taking the 200-meters in 21.67 and the 400-meters in 47.30. Mario Hicks won the 100-meters in 10.86 and was also the top scorer in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.86, placing behind Syracuse Chargers athlete and current UB assistant coach Ron Andrews, who finished in 14.31.

Individual men's winners for the Bulls included Todd Joki taking the long jump at 23-5.25 (7.14m). Steve Esler won the high jump at 6-7.50 (2.02m). Jerimie Slick won the 1500-meters in 3:54.40. Doug Johnston won the 800-meters in 1:54.06 and Tim Giagios took the 400-meter hurdles in 54.88. UB also swept the relay races, winning the 4x100-meters in 41.68 and the 4x400-meters in 3:19.11.

Crew

Trio of victorious boats at Seneca Cup

The crew teams took three of four races Saturday afternoon to claim the Seneca Cup at Lake Moraine in Hamilton, N.Y. The teams earned victories in the novice eight (5:21.5), varsity eight (5:09.0) and second varsity eight (5:19.0), defeating squads from William Smith and host Colgate. A slight following wind and a slight chop greeted the rowers on Saturday.

UB's novice eight boat opened the meet, completing the course in 5:21.5, eight seconds ahead of Colgate and twelve in front of William Smith in the race. The team consisted of Stephanie Spinella, Karen Corey, Bonnie McVicker, Joanne Olsen, Kat Vossler, Natalie Pugliese, Marla Hardin, Chandra Hazey and coxswain Dawn Kavanaugh.

The first varsity boat (5:09.0) then took the water and won its race by 1.3 seconds over William Smith (5:10.3). Colgate was third in 5:17.0. The boat included Victoria Kolomiets, Tracy Clarke, Mary Conniff, Kali Spoto, Deanna Knighton, Kathleen Dorn, Tara Celestini, Kasey Hansen and coxswain Tina LaFountain.

In the final event of the raceday, the second varsity eight cruised to victory in 5:19.5, with William Smith (5:25.3) and Colgate (5:25.8) trailing behind. Team members for the Bulls included Margaret Siller, Melissa Warhol, Clarke, Jessica Barrell, Amy Aldridge, Kolomiets, Sara Sheffer, Jessica Ecke and coxswain Katie Johnson.

The UB novice four team placed second in its race in 6:09.8 with Colgate taking the top spot in 6:04.1. The entry consisted of Kaitlen Bender, Jen Livingston, Michelle Heller, Georgia Maloney and coxswain Kaitlin Buchheit. UB also fielded a second entry in the race, finishing third in 6:33.0.