Bisons Stampede Tribe to Even Series

BUFFALO, N.Y. -Jason Leblebijian and Roemon Fields clubbed two-run home runs in the fourth inning to power the Buffalo Bisons to an 11-1 rout over the Indianapolis Indians Friday night at Coca-Cola Field. The Tribe went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

Scoreless through two innings of play, Buffalo (3-2) strung together a pair of two-out hits in the third to take a 1-0 lead. Bisons leadoff hitter Jon Berti hit a sinking liner to right for a single and later hustled around the bases on a Dwight Smith Jr. double.
The Bisons then added four runs in their next trip to the plate against Tribe starter Alex McRae, using Leblebijian and Fields' long balls to bust the game open.
After leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and nine runners on through the first five frames, Indianapolis (4-4) finally cracked the seal in the sixth. Eric Wood laced his league-leading fifth double to start the inning and later jogged home on a sacrifice fly by Todd Cunningham.
The home team posted a pair of three-run innings in the bottom of the sixth and seventh, however, to run away as victors.
McRae (L, 0-1) was touched up for eight runs (six earned) on nine hits in 5.2 innings pitched. He walked two and struck out five. Bisons starter Chris Rowley (W, 1-0) recorded the win with five shutout innings, despite allowing four hits, walking five and failing to notch a single strikeout.
The Indians and Bisons continue their four-game set on Saturday, April 14 at Coca-Cola Field, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m. Right-hander Austin Coley (0-1, 81.00) gets the nod for the Tribe, opposite Bisons righty Joe Biagini (0-0, 0.00).
To purchase tickets for any Indians home game, contact the Victory Field Box Office at 317-269-2282 or [email protected]. For more on the Tribe, visit IndyIndians.com.