Heading into the weekend, the softball team was caught in the cellar of the Mid-American Conference and hoped to find a way out. The Bulls, however, dropped four straight and further cemented themselves at the bottom of the conference.
In the process, Buffalo added over 1,000 miles to the team travel log along with four more conference losses to its record.
The abysmal weekend began in Kalamazoo, Mich., at the home of the Broncos. Buffalo was dealt two losses in the Friday doubleheader by scores of 1-0 and 6-0. In each game, the Bulls were shut out by strong pitching performances.
In game one, neither team was able to score in the first seven innings. In extra innings however, Tricia VanDerSlick of Western Michigan (23-12, 11-3 MAC) knocked in the game-winning RBI.
Game two was more of the same. Freshman Erin Zilka went 2-for-4, but the Bulls (11-36, 2-12 MAC) were still unable to get any runs on the board in the loss.
Junior pitcher Sophie Barstad pitched a complete game. She struck out three, allowed one unearned run, picked up the loss and dropped her record to 9-18.
The Bulls attempted to put the doubleheader sweep out of their minds and went to Mary Bell Field to play Northern Illinois, but unfortunately for the Bulls, the Huskies were just as unwelcoming as the Broncos.
Loss number three came Saturday, when the Huskies defeated the Bulls, 4-1. In the bottom of the third inning with two outs, NIU (18-20, 6-8 MAC) received a two-run homerun from Ellen Stoddard to take the lead. Furthering its advantage in front of the home crowd, NIU scored another run in the third.
Buffalo finally put a run on the board after some solid small ball by the Bulls offense.
The momentum began for Buffalo when Barstad was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game, advancing her to first where she was replaced by pinch runner Jennifer Biernacki. The freshman pitcher advanced to second on a left field single by junior infielder Laura Kor. Biernacki and Kor advanced to third and second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore catcher Lacy Schneider. Biernacki then crossed home plate thanks to an error by Krista McPherson on a grounder by junior infielder Colleen Greene.
Biernacki was the only Buffalo player to score that inning as Kor and Greene were left on base.
NIU added another run to its score in the bottom of the fourth and sealed the victory.
Buffalo gave NIU a run for its money on Sunday and stayed in the game until late.
"It was just a great one," said Bulls head coach Marie Curran. "It was a game that I think was really great to be a part of."
The Huskies etched a run on the scoreboard first, when second baseman Bailey Ouellette singled with two outs in the bottom of the second and then advanced to third base on an error by Bulls junior infielder Mary Russell. From there, NIU's Ellen Stoddard singled up the middle for the RBI.
Buffalo took the lead in the top of the fifth with the bases loaded when Kor hit a roller to the pitcher but reached on an error. A throwing error by Huskies' pitcher Lindsey LaChiana allowed two runs, which gave the Bulls a 2-1 lead.
The lead was short-lived for the Bulls as the Huskies came back in the bottom of the fifth. NIU tied the game 2-2 when Randi Kreiter hit a single to center. A walk, an out, and then a single by Kelly Drozd finally brought pinch runner Jenna Mitchell across the plate into the welcoming arms of her teammates.
"The whole game was back and forth, back and forth," Curran said.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Huskies broke the tie and took the lead when Kelly Park brought in two runners to put the score at 4-2. The team did not give up the lead for the rest of the game.
The Bulls' Russell did her best to get her team back into the game. In the top of the seventh with one out, she hit a long homerun to make the score 4-3, but from there sophomore Marcy Hansen and Zilka were two outs of the inning and game.
"The team really played hard out there tonight," Curran said. "They were able to stay focused despite the losing streak."
The next chance for the Bulls to break their losing streak is this Thursday at St. Bonaventure (16-16) at 3 p.m.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
