Purdue Fort Wayne
Buffalo
Pierce Era Begins with a "W"
2/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 27, 2009
Richmond, KY - Junior second baseman Jordan Kohler drilled a leadoff, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to lift IPFW to a season opening 12-11 win over the University at Buffalo on Friday afternoon in the opening game of the Logan's Roadhouse Leadoff Tournament hosted by Eastern Kentucky University.
Kohler's blast gave IPFW head baseball coach Bobby Pierce a win in his IPFW debut.
But it was the Bulls who opened the scoring in the top of the third on a pair of sacrifice flies.
The Mastodons cut the Buffalo lead in half in the bottom of the 3rd as junior designated hitter Ryan Beer doubled and scored on one of three Bulls' errors on the afternoon.
Beer staked the 'Dons to a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run homer to right center. Senior catcher Devin Taylor got the inning started with a double and scored on Beer's first collegiate long-ball.
IPFW ran in to a whole world of trouble in the top of the sixth. Buffalo second baseman Brad Agustin launched a 3-run homer to right center, left fielder Bobby Pizzuto brought home a pair with a double, and third baseman Brian Randazzo smacked the second 3-run blast of the eight-run inning, giving the Bulls a 10-3 cushion.
But the 'Dons dug in got an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth and put a three-spot on the board in the seventh on a 3-run bomb by senior shortstop Chris Gottschall.
IPFW continued the offensive onslaught in the bottom of the 8th inning. Junior third baseman Mark Carden started off the frame with a solo shot to left field. With two gone in the inning, sophomore center fielder Garrett Segraves plated Taylor with an RBI single through the left side of the Bulls' infield. Gottschall finished off the four-run uprising with a two-run single to center that gave IPFW an 11-10 lead going into the 9th inning.
After getting the first two Bulls in the ninth, junior righthander Andrew Emge hit Buffalo shortstop Jacob Rosenbeck. That HBP would be costly. UB designated hitter Chris Ciesla double to right field chasing home Rosenbeck with the tying run.
Emge settled down and got Agustin to ground out to Gottschall to set up the IPFW ninth.
Buffalo sent senior right hander Zach Anderson to the hill to face the 'Dons and Kohler greeted him with a walk-off shot to left.
Emge got the win for IPFW in his one inning of work.
Gottschall was 2-5 in the contest with 5 RBI. Segraves, Kohler, and Beer each had two-hit games for the Mastodons, who pounded out 10 hits in the contest.
Randazzo was 2-4 with 4 RBI and Agustin was 1-5 with 3 RBI for the Bulls who fall to 3-2 on the season.
IPFW (1-0) won for the first time on opening day since a 7-5 10 inning win over Wright State at the beginning of the 2006 season.
The Mastodons play host Eastern Kentucky this afternoon in Game 2 of the Logan's Roadhouse Leadoff Tournament.
~Dons~
