Bisons split doubleheader against St. Paul on Thursday

BUFFALO, NY - The Buffalo Bisons were able to split their doubleheader with the St. Paul Saints on Thursday afternoon at Sahlen Field as part of the annual Kids Day Game. Buffalo lost game one 18-3, while picking up a 5-1 victory in game two.

The doubleheader was picked up with two runners on and two out in the top of the third inning, as well as Chris Williams at the plate in a 2-0 count. He would walk on two more pitches by Paxton Schultz. The Bisons right hander took over for Brandon Eisert.

The two teams were suspended yesterday due to heavy storms that moved through the area and rendered the field unplayable after a 30 minute delay. Tony Kemp’s three-run home run in the top of the second inning put St. Paul up 3-0 when the game resumed.

Cam Eden reached base in the bottom of the third inning and would score one batter later to trim the Bisons deficit to 3-1. Spencer Horwitz’s RBI double scored Eden from first. It was Horwitz’s 16th double of the season and 28th RBI as well.

St. Paul would score four runs in the top of the fourth inning thanks in part to four walks. Kemp led off the inning with a base hit and would be one of the four runners to score that extended the Saints lead to 7-1 midway through the fourth inning.

After a scoreless fourth frame for the Bisons, the scoring between the two teams slowed as each team did not put up runs in the fifth or sixth innings.

In the top of the seventh, the Saints added two more runs. The first courtesy of a sacrifice fly hit to right fielder Will Robertson by Saints’ Matt Wallner, allowing Diego Castillo to score. The second run was scored by St. Paul’s Dashawn Keirsey Jr. as a result of a hard-hit line drive to left field, making the score 9-1 Saints.

The Saints would then add two runs of a double to center by DaShawn Kiersey Jr., extending the lead to 11-1.

However, in the eighth inning, the Bisons would cut into the lead as Will Robertson hit his seventh home run of the year to cut the lead to 11-3.

That would be as close as the Bisons would get as Yunior Severino would hit a grand slam as part of a seven-run final inning for the Saints as the herd dropped game one, 18-3.

After not allowing a run to cross in the top of the first the Bisons the Bisons got off to a fast start as Spencer Horwitz singled, Addison Barger walked, followed by a 403 ft, three-run home run off the bat of Orelvis Martinez.

In the top of the second inning, the Saints would answer back with a long ball of their own. Catcher Patrick Winkel hit a solo shot, his second of the year, to cut into the Buffalo lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Bisons would extend their lead by one, 4-1, as Brian Serven scored off a Cam Eden force out.

Despite not earning the win Bison’s pitcher Andrew Bash pitched 4.2 innings while allowing only one earned run on five hits as well as collecting four strikeouts.

In addition to the solid pitching performance, the Bisons would again add to their lead as Addison Barger scored off a Martinez double to left field. That extended Buffalo’s lead to 5-1 after five innings.

The Bisons also got solid pitching in relief, including from Joel Kuhnel, who was credited with the win as Buffalo split the doubleheader with St. Paul.