The Canisius College baseball team lost a 7-4 seventh-inning lead, falling 8-7 to the University at Buffalo at Amherst Audubon Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Griffins fall to 24-14 overall, losing back-to-back games for the first time since April 3.

Junior Brian Burton led Canisius with a 3-for-5 day, scoring three runs, driving in three RBI and hitting his 10^th home run of the season. Seniors Ian Choy, Perry Silverman and Shayne Willson each had two hits on the day, with Silverman scoring two runs and Choy reaching base in three of his four plate appearances.

The teams each scored in three of the first four innings. The Griffs tied the game in the top of the second, with Burton scoring all the way from first base on a double to right-center by Willson. Canisius took a 2-1 lead in the third when Silverman beat out a leadoff bunt, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a grounder and scored on a groundout by Choy.

After the Bulls took a 3-2 lead with a two-run bottom of the third, Canisius tied the game when a flyball from Jon VanRemmen fell down the right-field line, scoring Burton. The Bulls answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth to go up 4-3.

Canisius again took the lead in the fifth when Burton homered to dead center after Silverman singled and Choy was hit by a pitch. The Griffs scored for the fifth straight inning when freshman Josh Lewyckyj tripled to right field and scored on an opposite-field RBI single through the hole on the right side by Sean Jamieson to take a 7-4 lead.

The Bulls (17-17) cut into the Canisius lead with one run in the seventh as Adam Skonieczki drew a bases-loaded walk off Canisius reliever Andrew Van'tWout.

Buffalo scored three runs in the eighth for the last at-bat victory, with all the runs coming with two outs. Bobby Pizzuto had a two-RBI double down the right-field line to tie the game at 7-7. Brad Cochrane would double home Pizzuto for the game-winning run.

Van'tWout (4-1), one of four Canisius pitchers on the day, took the loss as the redshirt senior allowed three runs in two innings of relief.

Canisius, standing at 8-1 and in first place in the MAAC, returns home to host Rider in a three-game series this weekend at the Demske Sports Complex. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is set for 12 p.m.

Game Notes: The loss was the first of Van'tWout's career. He had won his previous four decisions... The loss was also the first of the season for the Canisius bullpen, which had won its previous 10 decisions... Burton's home run was his 10^th of the season, tying the junior with fellow classmate Steve McQuail for the team lead... Choy extended his hitting streak to a season-long eight games... Choy was also hit by a pitch for the 17^th time, breaking the program record of 16 set by Adam Donato from the 2008 season... Canisius lost to Buffalo for the first time since May 2, 2007, snapping a four-game winning streak in the series.