By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Credit UB Bulls coach Ron Torgalski with knowing his players. How else can one explain Torgalski’s decision to stick with Sunday afternoon starter, Mike Burke.
UB and Burke cruised to a 4-0 lead over Western Michigan’s Broncos. The senior right-hander retired the first seven he faced on the game and looked like he would take a shutout into the sixth when the game’s tone shifted.
Then in the sixth Western Michigan’s Kurt Hoekstra drilled a two-out, 1-0 pitch into right center for a triple. Andrew Sohn singled as did Brett Sunde. By the time Jared Kujawa tripled, the UB advantage shrunk to one.
The lead and Burke’s outing looked tenuous at best except no one stirred in the UB bullpen. The game was the Cleveland, Ohio native’s to win. With the tying run ninety feet away, he settled in and induced a pop up in the infield to end the threat.
“We know going into Sunday we’re going to get eight, nine solid innings out of him,” Torgalski said. “He’s going to give up maybe a couple, and we’re going to have an opportunity to win. As a coach it’s great to know you got him going third for you.”
The 6-2 Burke worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the seventh before facing the minimum in the eighth. He surrendered a two-out pinch hit in the ninth before getting a ground ball to seal a 7-3 win and a series sweep.
“He’s going to throw strikes and we’re going to make plays behind him,” Torgalski added. “When Mike comes out he’ll tell you ‘I got nine in me.’”
Commanding four pitches Burke retired 12 of the first 13 batters faced and 15 of 17 throwing 49 pitches through five innings – 37 for strikes.
“My goal is to go out there and get every batter 0-2,” Burke stated. “I have been able to practice all four of my pitches in the off-season. I’m very confident with each and every one of them. I can put them wherever I want whenever I want. That showed today. I was getting ahead of batters. Just glad I could come out and contribute and get the W.”
Mixing an upper 80’s fastball with a curve ball, slider and a low 70’s change up, the 2013 First Team All-MAC performer struck out nine, walked two and allowed seven hits – more than half coming in the sixth inning.
“They were all bullets,” Burke said of Western Michigan’s four straight hits. “They hit me pretty hard. No matter the situation I just try to keep my composure, keep calm. I don’t take any out for granted. I try to get ahead and keep battling when times get tough. I was happy I was able to battle through it and get the complete game.”
A year ago Burke won eight games – second most in program history. He set program records with 14 starts and 101-plus innings of work. He threw three complete-game shutouts and fanned 75 while holding opposing batters to .222.
Sunday’s win was his fifth on the season and fourth straight for the Bulls. He has struck out 53 while walking 14 over 60 innings of work.
“Our defense is always very good behind Mike,” Torgalski explained. “They have confidence that he is going to throw strikes, and we’re going to make plays.”
Burke threw 111 pitches on the day – 76 for strikes.
“To me that is very efficient,” Torgalski said of his hurler’s pitch count. “That’s what we get out of Mike. He filled up the strike zone.”
For the second day in a row, Matt Pollock paced the offense. The redshirt senior collected two hits, two walks and drove in three. Tyler Mautner rapped a pair of hits and plated two. Jimmy Topps scored twice as did Nick Sinay.
Pollock drove in the winning run in UB’s walkoff win on Saturday. Pollock scored the winning run in Friday’s 8-7 victory.
Due to poor playing conditions on their home field, UB shifted the series to Monroe Community College.
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