When the UB softball team traveled to Central Michigan this weekend, they had a chance to put themselves back in contention to make the Mid-American Conference tournament.
The Bulls started the series well but collapsed Saturday, dropping both games of the doubleheader and missing their opportunity to get back into the thick of things.
Buffalo (14-16, 4-8 MAC) started the weekend off with a 2-0 shutout of the defending MAC champion Chippewas (21-13, 10-5 MAC), courtesy of another gem performance by their ace, Stacey Evans. All the offense the Bulls needed was RBI singles by Lauren Picciano and Allison Round.
Neither team could get much of anything going offensively, but the Bulls got the only run they needed in the top of the fifth when Jessica Kensy led off the inning with a one-out single to right. Kensy was replaced by pinch runner Dominique Jones who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Melissa Pace. Jones then moved to third on a costly CMU throwing error that gave Picciano the chance to bat. Picciano hit a single down the right field that drove in Jones and gave the Bulls a 1-0 lead.
Round added the insurance run in the sixth when she knocked in pinch runner Heather Robbins.
Evans threw a complete game, three-hit shutout for the Bulls. It was her fifth shutout of the season and 17th complete game. She was able to strand Central Michigan runners on base in each of the first three innings and forced them to leave five runners on in the game.
Starter Jenni Rasmussen (6-6) took the loss for CMU. She went five innings, striking out five and allowing six hits. She was only charged with one earned run, the single by Round in the sixth.
In game one of Saturday's doubleheader, the Bulls were staked to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth. But then things started to fall apart.
Bulls' starter Andrea Sage, who was pitching very well to this point, gave up a pair of singles to start the inning and then walked the bases loaded with one out. Sage then hit a batter to score one run, and on the next at bat she made a fielding error, which tied the game.
CMU's starter, Amber Puchalski (10-5), then came up to bat and hit a two-run single to give the Chippewas the lead for good.
The Bulls got their runs in the fourth and sixth. The first UB run came when Kelly Malone hit a two-out double that scored Brianne Nasti, who was 2-3 in the game. The second run came on a home run from Round.
Sage, who struck out seven and allowed five hits, took the loss for the Bulls despite allowing just one earned run. Puchalski picked up the win, her 10th of the year, for the Chippewas. She struck out five in seven innings of work in the 5-2 win.
The final game of the series was an ugly one for UB. They committed six errors and were able to manage just three hits in the game in a 7-0 loss.
The Bulls started Evans (9-9), who was on just a few hours' rest, but she could not dominate the Chippewas the way she did the day before. Evans had one of her poorest outings of the year, taking the loss and giving up four hits and six runs in just 3.1 innings of work.
Heather Robbins replaced Evans in the fourth. Robbins allowed one unearned run on three hits in 2.2 innings.
CMU started the blowout with a Michelle Brander home run in the bottom of the first. They would go on to score three runs in the third, two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth.
Central Michigan pitcher Jessica Garvin (5-2) allowed just three hits and struck out seven. She picked up her second shutout of the year.
The Bulls play doubleheaders at Western New York rivals St. Bonaventure and Niagara on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
