This past weekend the UB softball team could have been right in the middle of the Mid-American Conference race, but instead they plummeted to the near bottom of the standings.
Lack of offense plagued UB (9-13, 1-5 MAC) as the team could only muster out 14 hits in the three game series at Kent State (11-7, 5-1 MAC), losing all three games. The Bulls scored just two total runs for the weekend, making it a frustrating few days for their pitching staff.
Bulls Fall Short to Kent State
Despite a solid effort by pitcher Stacey Evans (6-8), UB lost to Kent State 2-0 Sunday. Evans, the number one pitcher for the Bulls, gave up two earned runs and had no support offensively from her teammates.
"Our pitching staff has a goal of two runs or less a game and Stacey has done that all year," said UB head coach Marie Curran.
The Bulls could only generate four hits against Kent State hurler Kate Leary (7-3). Leary had eight strikeouts while only walking two batters in her complete game against UB. This was Leary's third consecutive shutout.
Through three and a half innings the teams played to a stalemate until Kent State got on the scoreboard with an RBI-double by Lea Dorto followed by a RBI-single by Rachel Testa that brought in the two runs for KSU.
The Bulls did not advance past second base as Leary improved her earned run average to 1.73.
Junior Breanne Nasti was 1-2 from the plate, hitting her team-leading fifth double of the year in the top of the first inning. Buffalo's other three hits on the afternoon were singles by junior Marce Ross, senior Jessica Kensy and senior Kelly Malone.
Kent State Pounds UB 13-1
Kent State University took the first game of a Monday doubleheader with ease, 13-1. UB pitcher Andrea Sage (1-1) started the game and only lasted three and two-thirds of an inning as the Golden Flashes knocked her around for ten hits and 13 runs, six of which were unearned.
"I know Andrea is not happy with her performance and will come back stronger her next game," said Curran.
The Golden Flashes exploded in the first and fourth innings, scoring seven and six runs respectively. The 13 runs were a season high and KSU batted around in both the first and fourth innings. The exclamation point by KSU was a grand slam by Carrie Eneix who sent a 3-2 pitch into the left field bleachers.
"She [Sage] was overthrowing a bit and her pitches were not moving as much and with good Division-I hitters, nine times out of 10 they're going to hit the ball pretty hard," said Curran.
The single run by UB was scored by Malone on a RBI by Melissa Pace. Malone scored from third base on Pace's shot to left field. UB once again was shut down offensively by KSU pitching. Melissa Rhodes (3-0) went the distance and only gave up five hits and one earned run.
Ann Magur led the Bulls with two hits on the day. Also, Allison Round and Lauren Picciano each had a hit a piece to round out the hitting for UB.
Solid Pitching Propels KSU Past UB
Kent State took the second game of the doubleheader Monday 2-1 behind the solid pitching of Leary, who again went the distance as she struck out six and gave up five hits. Leary improved to 7-3, and has yet to give up an earned run in MAC play this season.
Buffalo started strong, scoring in the first inning on a single by Magur and a throwing error with one out that allowed Magur to score. Magur moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Picciano and then scored on a throwing error by KSU's Kelly Maehl. This, however, would be the only run of the game as Leary shut down the Bulls the rest of the way.
Lea Dorto sent a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for a solo home run to tie the game at one. Kent State took the lead in the third inning as Grete Hornstorm batted in Maehl with two outs.
This game saw a shuffle in the lineup as Ross, normally the number two hitter in the lineup, was moved to eighth. This was not a move to punish Ross but a move to help get Ross and the rest of the team back into the swing of things. The outfield was also moved around to spark the team and help get them focused.
"Sometimes when you move people around as a player you get mad because you're not in the top four anymore. Sometimes it helps a coach and a player get out of slump or get the team focused," said Curran.
Evan's pitched yet another solid game for the Bulls as she gave up seven hits and struck out five.
Pitching alone will not win games. A solid pitching performance should be complimented with a solid hitting attack as well, something that Curran says needs to start happening in order for her team to start winning more.
"We just had a team discussion that Stacey keeps showing up everyday and eight other people need to start showing up everyday too," said Curran. "We're just missing that one little piece right now because defensively we are doing really well and Stacey is throwing real well."
That "one little piece" is without a doubt the struggling offense.
"Offensively we're just not putting things together and that's our main focus this week in practice ... because we know we have to put runs on the board," said Curran.
Upcoming for the Bulls is a string of home games including a non-conference doubleheader against Colgate today at 2:30 p.m. MAC opponents Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan come to town April 5 and April 6 respectively. Both games are doubleheaders with a 1 p.m. start.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
