After an eleven-day hiatus from play due to inclement weather conditions, the University at Buffalo softball team battled the Ohio University Bobcats in a three-game series this past weekend. The Bulls won the series 2-1 in dramatic fashion, as both wins were decided by one run, and their loss was decided by only two.
Sunday's third and final game featured pitcher Stacey Evans, again, as she allowed four runs on five hits with nine strikeouts. The Bulls (11-14, 3-6 MAC) scored early as sophomore Julie Hibner laid down a picture perfect squeeze bunt in a daring move as junior Marce Ross safely crossed the plate in the first inning.
Ohio (6-20-1, 2-12-1 MAC) came roaring back in the fourth and fifth as Kiersten Scrima led off with a double to left, followed by Emily Futscher and Georgia Villard's singles to give the Bobcats two runs and a 3-1 lead. Sophomore Jackie O'Brien scored on a Ross single, but the Bobcats' Katie Davis blasted a solo homerun in the fifth to take back a 4-2 lead.
Senior Jennifer Moore walked with one out in the bottom of the sixth, and sophomore Melissa Pace hit a tricky grounder to Bobcat shortstop Sarah Melvin, who bobbled the ball long enough for Pace to cross the bag safely. Ross then singled to center to load them up for pinch hitter Kelly Malone. Malone hit a grounder to third, and the throw home was mishandled by Villard which allowed Moore and Pace to score. Sophomore Ann Magur then singled to left to score Ross, which ended up being the winning run as the Bulls took a 5-4 lead into the top of the seventh inning.
Senior Andrea Sage took over pitching duties and she started off on a quick pace to close the game as she struck out her first two opponents. Then Melvin hit a double to left and Scrima was intentionally walked to have the option of a force out at any base. Erin Chapman, the MAC's No. 2 hitter with a .475 average stepped up to the plate, but hit a weak grounder to third to end the game for Sage. Ohio's Kerri Harley took the loss while giving up one earned run over four innings.
Saturday brought both a win and a loss for Buffalo as they split the doubleheader, winning the first game 3-2, as Evans went the distance allowing five hits and striking out five, on her way to her seventh win of the season, giving UB their 10th win of the season.
"Yesterday's win was really exciting. Stacey pitched really well and we played good team defense," said Buffalo's head coach Marie Curran on Sunday.
Sage pitched for the Bulls in game two, and allowed one earned run over seven innings with five strikeouts on the day. Although the Bulls out-hit the Bobcats by an 8-5 margin, a costly fielding error allowed one Bobcat run in the fourth, followed by another in the fifth to lead Ohio to their sixth win of the season as they won 2-0.
Coach Curran was excited at the level of play she witnessed Sunday from her team.
"Today we came out and had a much better energy level and really stayed in the game for all seven innings ... it was nice to score the runs in the bottom of the sixth and have our pitcher come out against one of the best hitters in the conference and get her to ground out is really a great performance," she said after the game. "In the first inning we made really good contact ... Stacey got hit a little hard today, but every good pitcher has a day."
Curran has also been pleased with her team's ability to make contact, as proven by her team's two come-from-behind game wins this weekend.
"Our kids kept battling, they were swinging the bat really well today, hopefully we'll have a lot of confident batters against Canisius on Wednesday."
UB hosts their cross-town rivals, Canisius, Wednesday in a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
