Softball (10-25, 4-7 MAC) hosted its first home series at Nan Harvey Field this season, losing all three games against Akron (22-15, 10-7 MAC).
The Bulls lost the first game 4-1 on Tuesday. Senior pitcher Alexis Lucyshyn scored the only Bulls run of the game when she hammered a home run to right center in the first inning. UB was only able to hit the ball four times throughout the game, and no other Bulls crossed the plate.
Although the Zips only had three hits, they capitalized on their opportunities, taking the lead in the second inning off a UB throwing error which resulted in two Akron players scoring.
Lucyshyn pitched the full seven innings, striking out eight batters and walking two. Freshman first basewoman Abbey Nagel led the Bulls with two hits — a single and a double.
The Akron series continued with a Wednesday doubleheader. The Bulls lost the first game 9-4.
UB struggled from the beginning as the Zips scored six runs in the first three innings. The Bulls found their footing in the bottom of the fifth when junior pitcher Julia Tarantino hit a two-run home run. The only other UB runs came in the fifth inning when freshman outfielder Mia Mitchell hit a two-run home run, scoring herself and Nagel.
The last game of the series resulted in a 5-1 loss for the Bulls. The Zips came out strong, scoring twice in the top of the first inning. The game stood at 2-0 until the fifth inning, when freshman catcher Lyla Ambrose hit a homer to score the only run of the game.
The Bulls currently rank No. 10 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) with five series remaining before the MAC Tournament in May. UB will head to Munice, Indiana this weekend to face No. 7 Ball State.
Amy Maslin is a sports editor and can be reached at amy.maslin@ubspectrum.com
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
