Softball Hits Fall Looking To Capitalize On Last Season
8/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo softball team enters the 2010 fall looking to capitalize on a spring that saw UB head to the MAC Tournament for just the second time in school history. The Bulls used a solid final weekend of the regular season to clinch their spot in the eight-team tournament. That was just the start for a young team, who returns 12 players and has some newcomers who are sure to make an immediate impact.
The Bulls will have four seniors on this year's squad, led by Alexandra Bejarano. Bejarano started in all 53 games she played in last year, finishing seventh on the team in batting. The junior class is sure to turn some heads this season, despite being just a three-person class. Leading the way is Kristin Waldron, Buffalo's leading hitter last season with a .330 batting average and 34 runs batted in. The other two juniors are both transfers. Holly Johnson, an Amherst, NY native and transfer from Rutgers will see plenty of time in the circle for UB. Johnson pitched 108.1 innings for the Scarlet Knights last season as a sophomore, striking out 86 batters. The other transfer is junior Haylee Land, who is also a pitcher out of Indian River Community College.
UB has seven sophomores on the roster, most who made immediate contributions in just their freshmen seasons. Leading the way is Ashley Bertot, who was honored by the Mid-American Conference at the end of the season, being named to their All-Freshman team. Bertot finished second on the team with a .306 batting average. Third on the team in hitting was Alyssa Ward, who hit .290 on the season and behind her were a pair of freshmen, who tied for fourth on the team in hitting in Jessica Griffin and Taylor Franich. Griffin was UB's leader in home runs with five.
The class of incoming freshmen come to UB from all over the country, ranging from New Jersey to California. The Bulls add another pitcher to the staff in Tori Speckman, while adding an infielders (Tori Pettine and Sammi Gallardo) and utility player (Holly Luciano) to the mix.
The Bulls will start there season with a brief fall schedule that will have UB playing all its games right in its own backyard. The Nan Harvey Classic will take place at the Amherst Pepsi Center on Sep. 18-19 and then Buffalo will host Canisius and Niagara on Sep. 26 and St. Bonaventure on Oct.2 - All three of those games will take place at Nan Harvey Field.
UB's spring season will get underway on Feb. 11, 2011 at the Jacksonivlle Tourney.
