The warm weather of Kissimmee, Fla. must have provided some encouragement to the softball team, because Buffalo's hitters heated up like the sun on the Orlando suburb during their eight-game stretch last weekend.
Buffalo (12-6) took care of business at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee. The Bulls went 7-1 during their spring break trip to the Sunshine State.
Buffalo used solid starting pitching throughout the week to dominate its opponents and come out of the weekend with an impressive record.
"This is actually what we expected out of our team," said head coach Jennifer Teague. "In the past, where this program has been, this is exactly what is expected out of them. With that said, we were pleased with our 7-1 record this week."
In their first game on March 10, the Bulls were led by senior first basemen Dana Carter. Carter went 3-3 with four RBIs along with a key fifth inning double that broke a 3-3 tie and put Buffalo up for good against Bucknell (9-7). They knocked off the Bison 6-4.
After beating Butler (5-12-2) 6-3 in their second game of the week, the Bulls continued their success with a 1-0 thrilling win over South Dakota (7-4) in a classic pitching duel. Freshman pitcher Terese Diaz pitched a complete game shutout and surrendered only one hit for Buffalo. South Dakota pitcher Brittany Donohue threw a no hitter over the course of six innings, but the Bulls managed to manufacture a run on a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the sixth for the win.
Teague praised the freshmen pitcher for her performance against South Dakota.
"Terese Diaz had a great game, but this is what we expect out of her. That was definitely her best game of the week," she said. "All her pitches were working. She really picked the batters apart. It's nice to see that we got that type of performance out of her so early in her freshmen season."
Buffalo suffered its first and only loss of the week versus Valparaiso (9-5). The Bulls were unable to squander critical hits and fell by a score of 4-1. Buffalo left eight runners stranded on base during the contest.
In their third day at the Rebel Spring Games, the Bulls managed to beat Sacred Heart (2-10) 3-2. The second game of the double header was no different as Buffalo beat Pennsylvania (3-9) 6-4 in a late-inning thriller. Down the stretch, the Bulls put together a three-run seventh inning to squeak by the Quakers. Diaz smashed a single to left center, knocking in two RBIs to put the Bulls up 6-4.
"Our team really kicks in when they make the adjustments that the coaches tell them to make," Teague said. "We encouraged them to go up and swing at our type of hittable pitches, not just necessarily what the umpire was calling that day."
March 14, for the Bulls, was filled with great pitching as Buffalo beat Rhode Island (1-7) 5-0 and Manhattan (1-4) 8-0. Diaz pitched a shutout in the first half of the double header. She struck out nine batters and allowed only two hits.
Diaz's pitching performance against the Rams was the best of the weekend until junior Sharon Barr took the mound in the final game for the Bulls. She threw a perfect game as Buffalo cruised to an easy 8-0 over the Manhattan Jaspers (4-14).
"Sharon was phenomenal," Teague said. "To pitch a perfect game at the end of the week is a true testament to her development as a pitcher."
See Tuesday's issue of The Spectrum for coverage of the softball team's four-game stint in the Hampton University Lady Pirate Classic.
