For the softball team, March came in like a lion and went out like a...lion.
After losing its first eight games of the month, the Bulls finished up March in similar fashion as they dropped their last seven games. This includes the four road losses Buffalo recorded over the weekend against Mid-American Conference opponents Bowling Green and Toledo.
Buffalo opened up its tour of the Buckeye state with a double-header against Toledo on Friday. In the first game, Toledo scored three runs in the first inning to take a quick 3-0 lead. The Bulls responded in the top of the third with two scores to whittle down the Rockets' lead to one.
When freshman pitcher Sharon Barr stole home on a passed ball, Buffalo tied the game up in the fourth, 3-3. Both teams went scoreless for the next two innings. The Rockets prevented the game from going into extra innings when Brie Ford scored on an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth.
Junior shortstop Marcy Hansen led the Bulls with two hits in the contest. Barr logged 6 2/3 innings allowing three earned runs and five hits while striking out four.
"Toledo is probably around the same level as us," said softball coach Marie Curran. "That's why the first game was so competitive."
The second game proved to not be as close as the first, as the Rockets blasted off to a 9-1 victory. The Bulls managed only six hits in the game, while junior starting pitcher Margo Schramm gave up six earned runs in only two innings of work.
One bright spot for the Bulls was junior catcher Lacey Schneider, Schneider fueled whatever offense the Bulls could muster going 4-6 during the two game series.
"I don't really think our girls showed up to play their best," Curran said. "I know some of them were disappointed in themselves and we were looking at some young players and returning players such as Lacy Schneider. She did a really good job."
Nine was the number of the day, in the Bulls second double-header of the weekend, this time against Bowling Green. The Bulls gave up nine runs in both their games against the Falcons, and only managed to score three runs of their own.
In the first game, Schneider accounted for two of the three RBI's and two of the teams seven hits. Freshman second baseman Elizabeth Hauke added three more hits.
The two games originally were scheduled to be played one on Saturday and one on Sunday. However, a scheduling change moved both games to Saturday and the early start for the first game affected the team's play according to Curran.
"We got out there at 9 o'clock in the morning and with so many young players, it was something they weren't accustom to," Curran said. "We had to mentally wake them up...it was definitely a different experience and something that we will be prepared for next weekend."
The Bulls' second contest against the Falcons was no better than the first, as the Bulls fell 9-0. The Bulls could only manage two hits in the game, and this was the only contest in which Schneider failed to record a hit. Schramm continued her poor performance allowing seven earned runs in only two innings of work. Carter came in and allowed zero runs in two innings of relief.
"Bowling Green probably has one of the better hitting teams," Curran said. "They have two veteran pitchers. They are very gifted and talented. They will finish probably in the top six."
The Bulls will next square off in a double-header against Pittsburgh in their home opener on Wednesday. Following the games against the Big East foe, Buffalo will continue on against MAC teams Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan.
"This weekend coming up, we played Central and Eastern already so its no surprise to who they are and how they will play our girls," Curran said. "That will help us a lot ahead of time."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
