For the first time since 2014, UB softball defeated a Power 5 team and finished the season’s opening weekend with a winning record.
This weekend’s Panther Invitational saw UB defeat Penn State 5-3 on Saturday, which marked their first victory over a Power 5 rival since they took down Texas Tech 5-0 in 2014.
Softball flourished with multiple wins over Cleveland State and a victory over Penn State.
Junior pitcher Alexis Lucyshyn and sophomore infielder Rachael Steffan both contributed two-run home runs this weekend.
Friday’s opening play brought a mixed bag of results. UB picked up its first win of the 2022 season with a 4-1 win over the CSU Vikings, which they followed up with a hard-fought 4-3 loss to the FIU Panthers.
Saturday’s match witnessed UB’s landmark victory over D-1 giant Penn State. The Bulls roared to a 5-3 win with runs from Lucyshyn, senior catcher Olivia Kincanon and sophomore infielder Ally Sobaszek.
Inclement weather paused Buffalo’s rematch against FIU in its tracks, as the game rolled over to Sunday. But, after going down 6-0 Saturday, the Bulls ultimately lost 7-1.
Freshman pitcher Marissa Calloway made her debut in the second loss to FIU, allowing two hits and striking out two batters in three innings.
The Bulls bested the Vikings in the final event of the weekend, 5-4.
The Bulls will be back on the road in Albuquerque, NM for the Lobo Classic from Feb. 24-26.
Sophie McNally is an assistant sports editor and can be reached at sophie.mcnally@ubspectrum.com
Sophie McNally is an assistant sports editor at The Spectrum. She is a history major studying abroad for a year from Newcastle University in the UK. In her spare time, she can be found blasting The 1975 or Taylor Swift and rowing on a random river at 5 a.m.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
