The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Buffalo
Baseball Falls in Series Finale at Buffalo, 7-6
April 14 | Baseball
BUFFALO, N.Y. – An error by second baseman Tyler Begun with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth allowed Buffalo to score the game-winning run and win Saturday's series finale over The University of Akron baseball team, 7-6, at Amherst Audubon Field.
Senior reliever Danny Fawcett – pitching in his third inning of relief – was able to get the first two outs in the ninth, before issuing a walk and hitting a batter. Tom Murphy then reached on an infield single to load the bases and Begun was unable to handle Alex Baldock's grounder at second, allowing Jon Mestas to score the winning run.
Begun led UA (14-21, 7-5 Mid-American Conference) at the plate, hitting two home runs – one of which was an inside the park job. Senior Sam Watkins also had a pair of hits for UA.
"This was a tough loss for us today," first-year Akron coach Rick Rembielak said. "Our pitchers did a great job to keep us in it and got out of some very tough situations. Unfortunately, we were unable to produce enough on offense to win."
Starter Alex Loftin allowed three runs in 4.2 innings. Loftin allowed seven hits and struck out four. Fawcett (2-2) pitched well in taking the hard-luck loss, allowing just the one unearned run in 2.2 innings and striking out two.
Kevin Crumb (2-6) took the win on the mound for Buffalo (10-20, 3-8) after pitching a scoreless ninth. UB Reliever Anthony Magovney allowed three runs in six innings. Matt Pollack went 3-for-6 for UB, while Mestas drove in two.
Akron took advantage of errant pitching by Buffalo starter Mike McGee in the second inning to take the lead. The lefty walked the bases loaded with one out, and Gerrad Rohan lifted a fly ball to center to score Brady Stewart.
Buffalo answered right back in the bottom of two. Loftin walked Thomas Richards to begin the inning and Andy Smietana reached on a bunt single in the next at-bat. After a fly out and a ground out, Pollock singled to drive in Richards.
Stewart drove in Devan Ahart – who bunted his way on – with an RBI groundout to reclaim the Akron lead in the third. Darius Washington walked and Watkins was plunked to load the bases and set the table for Stewart. Kurt Gamby made it a two-run inning by plating Washington with a sacrifice fly to right.
Back-to-back Buffalo doubles by Pollack and Mestas to start the fifth started a two-run inning for the home team. Loftin was able to get two of the next three batters – issuing an intentional walk to Murphy – but then gave up a single up the middle by Richards that knotted the score at three.
Begun's fourth homer of the season put Akron back in front in the top of the sixth. The blast led off the inning and snapped an 0-for-12 skid for the Mayfield Village native.
The Bulls took the lead again with two runs in the seventh. UA reliever Kevin Gamble walked two before being replaced by Fawcett. Michael Burke and Jason Kanzler then both brought in runs on back-to-back bunts. Burke's bunt to the right side was tossed away by Begun at second, allowing Richards to score. Smietana then scored on Kanzler's bunt single.
The lead was short lived, as Begun struck again in the top of the eighth. This time the sophomore hit an inside the park home run, with Gamby scoring on the play. Gamby had led off the inning with a single to left.
Akron returns to action with two midweek games against Big East opponents this week. The Zips will host West Virginia at Munson Stadium in Canton on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. game. Akron is back on the road next weekend, heading to Western Michigan for three.
