The UB Bulls softball team competed in a three-game series against the Miami of Ohio RedHawks this past weekend, and could only muster one victory out of three games.
After Sunday's 1-0 loss to cap the series at the Miami Softball Field, the Bulls are now 10-14 for the season and 1-2 in the Mid-American Conference after winning only one game against their conference in foes in the set.
Miami hurled the Bulls a four-hit shutout with the combined efforts of pitching teammates Courtney Salmon and Jackie Poggendorf, putting Miami at 9-16 and 2-1 in the MAC.
The third inning was the setting for the lone run in Sunday's contest. Becca Garcia put her foot down on home plate after a series of events brought her around the bases.
Garcia had doubled to left field, and then made it to third after Jessica Zogaib made an effort to reach home that fell short when she was thrown out. Poggendorf then made it on base courtesy of a Buffalo error and Garcia was able to score the only run that would be necessary for the win.
Salmon pitched a masterful performance, striking out nine and allowing only three hits in five innings of work before Poggendorf came in to seal the deal at the start of the sixth. Poggendorf whiffed two and finished the inning to seal the victory for the RedHawks and earn the save for herself.
UB's Stacey Evans was her usual self, pitching the whole game while striking out three and giving up not one earned run.
Bulls Win First MAC Contest
The MAC schedule opened on Saturday afternoon with UB winning their first game of a doubleheader 2-1.
The Bulls first run to register on the scoreboard made its way there courtesy of senior standout Breanne Nasti's sacrifice bunt that drove in Marce Ross in the third inning.
Things would even up in the fifth when Buffalo's Jamie Carey made an error on a bases loaded ground ball allowing Miami to tie it up late in the game.
At the top of the sixth, Nasti led off with a double, and scored the game-winning run on a two-out double to right center thanks to pinch-hitter Shannon Prochaska.
Evans pitched a complete game for Buffalo and struck out six batters while only allowing four hits, with no runs. She earned the win for the Bulls on the mound.
Poggendorf suffered an upsetting loss, allowing five hits and an earned run in five innings of work.
Bulls Fall in Nightcap
In the highest scoring contest of the three-game series, the RedHawks were able to take a 6-4 win and split Saturday's doubleheader thanks in large part to a Poggendorf grand slam.
The Bulls got things going early in the second inning when freshman Colleen Greene hit a leadoff single and scored when Miami made an error later that inning.
Miami quickly jumped on the Bulls right after, turning things around in the bottom of the third when Poggendorf jacked the aforementioned grand slam to take a 4-1 lead over UB.
To add even more padding to their lead, the RedHawks piled two more runs onto their total giving them a commanding 6-1 lead in the fourth inning courtesy of a couple of RBI singles.
Greene came back to cause more trouble for MU in the fifth however, and was able to cut the lead in half when she batted in two runs on a single to left with two outs already in the bag for Miami.
Nasti blasted another homerun for Buffalo in the seventh, but that was the last run that would cross the plate for UB as they fell 6-4.
RedHawks pitcher Heather Freudenberger pitched the first five innings, allowing five hits, and two earned runs in her win.
Pitching the last two innings, allowing two hits and one earned run, Courtney Salmon received the save.
Taking the loss for the Bulls, sophomore Theresa Gugger allowed six earned runs on six hits and recorded two strikeouts.
The Bulls play next this weekend at home against MAC opponents Kent State in a three-game set with a doubleheader on Saturday and the finale on Sunday. First pitch is set for a 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
