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• WNY Woman

Despite a pair of home runs and four RBI from Nick Evans, the Buffalo Bisons frittered away a 6-3 lead and ended up dropping the final game of their opening home stand to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, 8-7, in front of 7,221 fans at Coca-Cola Field Thursday afternoon.

The loss drops the Bisons to 1-7 in this young season, but more importantly the Herd now finds themselves seven games behind the first place Yankees (8-0) in the International League’s North Division.

Clinging to the plus that seven of those eight losses were by two runs or less the Bisons, who are dead last in the 14-team league, feel they aren’t that far off from where they need to be to succeed so there is no reason to push the panic button.

“That’s what I mean,” said Bisons first baseman Nick Evans. “A hit here or there. A couple of key hits with guys in scoring position and the game could be different.”

But while no one is panicking bare minimum they better at least be concerned.

The Yankees and Pawtucket Red Sox are both loaded and are the front-runners to be win the Governors’ Cup championship.

One week in the season you don’t want to have to worry about playing catch up.

“We just can’t everything clicking at the same time,” said Bison manager Ken Oberkfell. “When we get our offense going the pitching doesn’t happen. When the pitching is doing good, the offense struggles. I’m not worried we’re going to be fine. This club, we could reel off eight (wins) in a row just as easy as losing seven out of eight.”

The good signs are the seven runs scored against the Yankees was a season high as they Herd also turned three double plays.

Home runs by Johnny Rodriquez and Shelley Duncan (two RBI) helped the Yankees open a 3-0 lead in the first. But the Bisons responded with two runs thanks to the first of Nick Evans two home runs.

Evans second home run highlighted a three-run fifth as the Herd took a 6-3 lead.

Making the most of a road-weary Yankees squad that was without three starters and made four errors the Bisons looked as if they would close the stand of a positive note. But it wasn’t to be.

A solo home run by former Bison Todd Linden set the stage for a three-run Yankees eighth, and a hard line drive by Juan Miranda to score Doug Bernier gave SWB the winning run in the ninth.

Yankees reliever Mark Melancon (2-0) picked up his second win in three days as his back-to-back strikeouts of Fernando Martinez and Nick Evans got the Yankees out of the eighth inning damage free.

“That was huge for us,” said Yankees manager Dave Miley.

The Bisons hope to find some answers as the head to Syracuse for their first road trip of the season.

“Coming off a one and seven home stand it could be good for us to get a change of scenery,” said Evans. “Like I said we’re giving ourselves a shot every day. The hits will come.”

Yes, the hits will come. Hopefully the wins are coming along for the trip, too.