University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: April 8, 2004

Baseball

LeMoyne 13-5, UB 12-1
Akron 6-6, UB 5-1

UB dropped both games of a doubleheader to LeMoyne at Dick Rockwell Field on March 30. Despite hitting three home runs, the Bulls fell in a slugfest in game one, 13-12. In game two, UB was held to three hits and lost, 5-1.

In game one, the Bulls fell behind, 7-1, through two innings. The Bulls tied the game with a six-run fourth inning. The key blow was a grand slam off the bat of Brian Zelasko. Two batters later, Joe Mihalics hit a solo home run. A two-run single by Al Barbato in the top of the fifth inning gave the Bulls a 9-7 lead. They tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth, thanks to a two-run homer by Chris McGraw and an RBI double by Zelasko. However, the Dolphins hit two home runs en route to a six-run sixth inning to pull ahead and win the game, 13-12.

The Bulls' bats were silenced in game two as they were held to only one run on three hits.

On Saturday, the ninth inning was kind to Akron as the Zips used a four-run ninth in game one and a five-run ninth in game two to sweep both games of a doubleheader at Amherst Audubon Field. Akron took game one, 6-5, and game two, 6-1.

In game one, Akron took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. A two-run single by James Kinglsey in the bottom of the sixth inning tied the game, 2-2. An inning later, an RBI single by Andrew Wengert gave the Bulls a 3-2 lead. UB held the one-run lead with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. However, a two-run single by Craig Welch sparked a four-run inning for the Zips. Trailing 6-3 in the ninth, The Bulls got two runs back, thanks to a two-run single by McGraw. The Bulls worked the bases loaded with two outs, but were unable to capitalize.

Game two was a pitchers duel for much of the contest. UB starter Mark Tourangeau only allowed two runs on five hits and struck out seven over 8.1 innings. However, Akron starter Pat Watt was equally effective, tossing a complete game and striking out 10. Heading into the ninth inning and the game tied 1-1, the Zips batted around and scored five runs to earn the 6-1 victory.

The losses dropped the Bulls to 5-17 overall and 0-2 in the MAC.

Softball

Kent State series wiped out due to weather

A weekend of bad weather forced UB's three-games series against Kent State to be cancelled.

Outdoor Track and Field

Track teams take second and third at McDonald's Invitational, Olson ties for 12th in Texas

The men's and women's track-and-field teams got their first real taste of MAC competition with the McDonald's Invitational, held last weekend in Athens, Ohio. UB's women finished second (150 points) behind Kent State (174.5) in the 13-team field. The men took third (117.5) in a 12-team field, but just a quarter-point behind host Ohio (117.75). Kent State won the men's meet with 182.5 points.

Jennifer Jezorski won two events to lead the Bulls' efforts. The middle distance runner took the 1500-meter race in 4:41.74, cutting four seconds off her previous personal best. Jenny Koeppel took second in 4:42.50. Jezorski also won the 800-meter run in 2:18.14, with Koeppel capturing fifth in 2:21.09.

Sarah Vance took the shot put with a toss of 45-5.25 (13.85m) and also finished second in the hammer throw (157-4.25, 47.98m). On the track, Allison Laske won the 400-meters in 56.73, while Krystal Seiling captured the 100-meter dash in 12.55 seconds. The 4x400 relay team also was victorious in 3:51.05.

UB's men picked up three first-place finishes in jumping events. In the long jump, Reggie Rucker took top honors with a leap of 22-8 (6.91m), with Rayshon Higgins finishing third at 21-4.25 (6.51m). Higgins came back to win the triple jump at 47-1.75 (14.37m), more than six feet further than the second-place finisher in a six-man field. Steve Esler won the high jump at 6-8 (2.03m), an inch shy of his school record. Teammate Todd Joki tied for third at 6-4 (1.93m).

Meanwhile, UB pole vaulter Laura Olson finished in a tie for 12th place among 18 of the nation's top athletes at Saturday's 77th Annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.

Tennis

WOMEN'S

Marshall 7, UB 0
Miami (OH), 5, UB 2

UB returned home to begin a three-match homestand against MAC opposition. On Friday, the Bulls fell 7-0 to Marshall, ranked 48th in the country by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Saturday, Miami (OH) came to town with the Bulls falling 5-2 to the RedHawks.

Against the Thundering Herd, UB's top doubles tandem of Miglena Nenova and Kristen Ortman gave the duo of Jessica Johnson and Ashley Kroh a strong battle. UB took a 2-0 lead early in the match against the 14th-ranked doubles team in the country, but Johnson and Kroh then took the next eight of nine games to secure an 8-3 victory.

The Bulls also were swept in the singles competition.

They returned to the Village Glen on Saturday for the match with Miami. Nenova and Ortman took an 8-6 win over Katrina Lomidze and Linda Jirouskova. UB led 4-1 and 6-3 in the pro-set match before Miami forged a 6-6 tie. Nenova and Ortman then were able to put away their opponents by winning the final two games for the 8-6 win. Miami claimed the doubles point by winning the second and third matches.

Nenova and Ortman, playing the top two singles spots for UB, posted individual victories for the Bulls' lone points. At number one, Nenova rolled past Lomidze, 6-4, 6-1. Ortman had little trouble downing Jirouskova, 6-2, 6-1, at number two.

The Bulls will play their final home match of the season tomorrow when they host Akron at 1 p.m. If the weather permits, the match will be played outdoors at the UB Tennis Center. If not, the match will be moved to the Village Glen Tennis Center in Williamsville.

MEN'S

UB 7, IPFW 0
Northern Illinois 7, UB 0
Ball State 6, UB 1

A Midwestern swing netted the Bulls a win and two losses in MAC action over the weekend. UB picked up a 7-0 win over Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne on Friday. The Bulls then fell to Northern Illinois, 7-0, on Saturday and to Ball State, 6-1, on Sunday.

Against the Mastodons, a MAC affiliate member for men's tennis only, UB earned the doubles point by winning two of the three matches. At first doubles, the duo of Randy Rocchio and Yules Hadisubroto defeated Michael Parker and Daniel Jackson, 8-3. At number two, the UB tandem of Nick Zieziula and Albert Alant knocked off Carlos Gonzalez and Ryan Orr, 8-2.

The Bulls swept the singles contests, highlighted by an impressive victory by Rocchio over Parker at number one. Rocchio needed a first-set tiebreaker to down the Mastodons' top player, scoring a 13-11 victory in the tiebreaker, on his way to a 7-6 (11), 6-4 win. Rangga Prayudha also went to a tiebreaker to score his win over Orr at fifth singles. Prayudha took the opening set, 6-4, but fell in the second set, 3-6, to force the ten-point tiebreaker, defeating Orr 10-8.

UB was unable to claim any victories against Northern Illinois on Saturday-dropping all nine matches-but was able to rebound with a pair of victories against the Cardinals on Sunday.

The Bulls top doubles tandem of Rocchio and Zieziula picked up an impressive win over Matt Baccarani and Patrick Thompson, 8-6. The Ball State duo had entered the season ranked within the top 25 doubles teams in the nation and led the MAC in wins by a number one team with 16 heading into Sunday's match.

The lone point scored by the Bulls against the Cardinals came in the number five singles match as Prayudha knocked off Brad Rhodes, 6-4, 6-3.

Crew

Bulls race with New England's best

UB faced some of the nation's toughest competition in a quad meet last weekend against Boston College, Northeastern University and Dartmouth College along the historic Charles River in Boston. Of UB's five entries, the Bulls placed third in four races and fourth in another race.

The two novice eight entries placed third in both races. In the first novice eight competition, the Bulls crossed the finish line in 7:06.6, with Dartmouth winning in 7:01.5 and Northeastern taking second in 7:03.7. Boston College was fourth in 7:10.6. The second novice eight team finished its 2,000-meter race in 7:49.0. Boston College won in 7:33.3, while Northeastern was second in 7:41.3.

UB's varsity four entry placed third in 8:19.7, with Boston College (8:07.1) and Dartmouth (8:09.3) finishing ahead of the Bulls.

In the first varsity eight race, the Bulls took fourth in 6:53.7. Northeastern won the race in 6:44.7 with Boston College (6:46.6) and Dartmouth (6:49.1) finishing second and third, respectively. The second varsity eight took third in a four-team race in 7:08.5. Dartmouth finished in 7:04.1 and Boston College was second in 7:05.4. Northeastern finished fourth in 7:24.3.