Nasti the Difference in Game One Pitcher's Duel
It had to be agonizing to watch, especially for pitcher Stacey Evans.
Thursday's first game of a doubleheader with Niagara saw UB leave five runners on base through the first four innings. Twice the Bulls stranded a runner just 60 feet from home plate.
Breanne Nasti, however, was not going to let the trend continue.
With the game locked at 0-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Nasti came to the plate with runners on second and third. UB's First Team All-Mid-American Conference slugger delivered a clutch RBI single to left field just over the head of Niagara shortstop Angie Clarke.
It was all Evans would need as she pitched UB to a 1-0 victory Thursday afternoon over the Purple Eagles of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. It was Buffalo's first home game of the season.
Evans (6-6) continued her great season so far with her MAC league-leading 12th complete game, allowing just one hit and picking up her sixth win of the season.
"Everything was working for me ... especially my curveball,?!?+/- said Evans. "Defense has been big for us. Everyone has played well defensively and our whole team picks up on that".
As the game went along, Evans got stronger on the mound. In the top of the seventh, she struck out the last two Niagara batters looking. She allowed no walks, no Niagara player reached second base, and she faced just one more batter than the minimum for a seven-inning game. Her teammates committed no errors.
"Stacy has great mentality and is a team player," UB assistant coach Jackie Beavers said. "Her defense is there to back her up. Our defense has improved so much since the season started, and we give Stacy and our team a chance to win."
UB shortstop Lauren Picciano was the lone player in the game to cross home plate. Picciano led off the home side of the fifth inning with a single to right and then stole second base. Center fielder Ann Magur then grounded into a fielder's choice, but, in an attempt to fake out Picciano, Clarke faked the throw to first and tried to tag out UB's lead runner. Picciano, however, did not buy the fake, and the Bulls had runners on first and second with nobody out. Next, Marce Ross laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, setting the stage for Nasti.
Ashleigh Barber (0-5) took the loss for Niagara and pitched all six innings. She struck out four UB hitters and walked three.
Bulls Bats Erupt in Game Two Blowout
After clawing their way to victory in game one with only one run, Buffalo decided it was time that their bats awoke from the dead in game two.
Thanks to an eight-run explosion in the bottom of the third inning, the Bulls completed a doubleheader sweep over Niagara with an easy 10-2 win in a shortened five-inning game at the UB Softball Field.
The two wins improved the Bulls' record to 9-10 on the season, while Niagara dropped to 1-10.
Pitcher Andrea Sage (1-0) picked up the win for the Bulls, her first of the season, pitching all five innings. She allowed two runs on five hits and struck out four.
Tegan Bennett (1-3) had a tough afternoon on the mound for Niagara. She allowed nine earned runs on 12 hits while striking out two.
The Bulls scored an early run in the bottom of the first on an RBI single off the bat of Allison Round that scored Ross.
Round's run was just the opening act, the main event started in the bottom of the third. The Bulls scored eight runs on eight hits off Bennett. With the score already 3-0, thanks to a wild pitch and then an RBI single by Jessica Labella, Julie Hibner broke open the game with a two-run double to the gap in left center.
"Our team was in a slump offensively. But we busted out this game," said Hibner. "Once one of us gets going offensively, the whole teams feeds off it, and we all start to get our bats going. Our pitching was strong and defense was real good. We all feed off that."
After Hibner's double, Melissa Pace stepped up and delivered a two-run extra base hit of her own as she tripled down the right field line to give the Bulls a 7-0 lead. UB got two more runs after that on RBI singles by Picciano and Ross to complete the eight run 3rd and give them a 9-0 lead.
Round would add the final run of the game for the Bulls with another RBI single in the bottom of the fourth.
Niagara broke up Sage's shutout with two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Amanda Baluch, who wound up scoring on a fielder's choice. Sage got Shannon Mongalise to ground out to third for the final out of the game.
Ross was UB's top hitter, going 3-3 with an RBI and scoring twice. Round went 2-2 with a walk, a run scored, and two RBI. All but one UB hitter, Magur, recorded at least one hit.
"We had a real good day. We had a nice adjustment offensively," Beavers said. "Our pitching did well and we played better defense. Our hitting has improved a lot and it showed in the second game."
UB travels to face conference rival Kent State this weekend for a three-game series. The Bulls return home for a non-conference doubleheader with Colgate on Thursday, April 3.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
