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FINAL: Buffalo (10-15, 4-3 MAC) 9, Ohio (12-17, 2-5 MAC) -- Athens, Ohio (Bob Wren Stadium)

OHIO STARTERS: Mitch Longo (LF), Manny De Jesus (CF), Rudy Rott (1B), John Adryan (3B), Cody Gaertner (DH), Ty Black (2B), Tony Giannini (RF), Nate Squires (DH), Mateus Vakuda (SS), Jake Miller (P)

BUFFALO STARTERS: Alex Thrower (CF), Bobby Sheppard (SS), Chris Kwitzer (3B), Vinny Mallaro (DH), Mike Abrunzo (LF), Andrew Taft (1B), Ben Haefner (2B), Kyle Brennan (C), Brian Dudek (RF), Alec Tuohy (P)

THE BASICS
The Ohio baseball team (12-17, 2-5 MAC) dropped a 9-3 decision to Mid-American Conference East Division rival Buffalo (10-15, 4-3 MAC) on Friday (April 8) in the opening contest of a three-game weekend series at Bob Wren Stadium in Athens, Ohio.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Bulls pounded out nine runs on 11 hits and six walks. The Bobcats stranded seven runners on base -- including leaving a pair in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings.
• Freshman first baseman Rudy Rott (Holmen, Wis.) finished 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead Ohio.
• Senior right-handed starting pitcher Jake Miller (Westerville, Ohio) took the loss on the mound for the Bobcats, falling to 2-5 on the year. He struck out two while allowing seven runs -- five of which were earned -- on eight hits and two walks over four innings.
• Redshirt sophomore southpaw reliever Gerry Salisbury (Brunswick, Ohio) threw four scoreless innings of relief for Ohio, striking out a season-high five. He gave up two hits and two walks.
• Redshirt sophomore right-handed reliever Cory Blessing (Mayfield, Ohio) allowed one earned run in 0.2 innings.
• Junior lefty Matt Mikolajczak (New Lenox, Ill.) gave up one earned run on one hit and two walks over 0.1 innings. He struck out one.
• Senior left fielder Mike Abrunzo went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to lead Buffalo's bats.
• Redshirt junior catcher Kyle Brennan doubled twice, drove in two runs and scored another for the Bulls.
• Junior designated hitter Vinny Mallaro finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored for Buffalo.
• Junior center fielder Alex Thrower singled, walked three times, plated a run and scored three more for the Bulls.
• Junior right-handed starting pitcher Alec Tuohy earned the victory for Buffalo, fanning five over seven innings while surrendering one earned run on five hits and two walks. He improved to 5-2 on the year.
• Sophomore right-handed reliever Logan Harasta threw two innings out of the bullpen for the Bulls, giving up two earned runs on two hits.
• Buffalo tallied two runs in the top of the first, three in the third and two in the fourth to build up an early 7-0 advantage.
• The Bobcats got on the scoreboard in the home half of the fifth as junior second baseman Ty Black (Westerville, Ohio) beat out a one-out infield single to short, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a single by redshirt junior designated hitter Nate Squires (Plain City, Ohio).
• Ohio scored two more runs in the eighth to make it a four-run ballgame, but the Bulls tacked on two more runs in the ninth to make the score final.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
• Rott recorded his 11th multi-hit game, which is tied for third on the team.

UP NEXT
Ohio looks to even the series on Saturday (April 9). First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at the Wren. Junior right-hander Jake Rudnicki (Toledo, Ohio) is scheduled to make the start on the hill for the Bobcats and is slated to oppose Buffalo sophomore righty Charlie Sobieraski.

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