Bulls Clinch First MAC East Title With 2-1 Win At Kent State

Sunday, May 4

Kent, OH

1 pm

University at Buffalo

27-20, 10-6

Kent State

24-18, 11-5

Buffalo

Kent State

Bulls Clinch First MAC East Title With 2-1 Win At Kent State

5/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

KENT, OH - Solo home runs from Holly Luciano and Hayley Barrow were all the Bulls needed on Sunday afternoon as the University at Buffalo softball team clinched their first MAC East Title with a 2-0 victory over Kent State. The Bulls will enter the upcoming Mid-American Conference Tournament as the two seed, its highest seeding in school history. The victory was UB's sixth straight, all away from Nan Harvey Field as they improved to 27-20 on the season and finished conference play with an 11-5 record.

The Bulls got off to a quick start on Sunday with Luciano launching a solo home run to left field in the first, giving UB an early 1-0 lead. Kent State evened it up in the bottom of the first with a solo shot of their own and then pitching took over, with neither team crossing the plate again until the fifth inning.

Senior Tori Speckman retired 10 straight batters after allowing the solo home run in the first as she continued to throw up zeros for her offense. She was rewarded in the top of the fifth as Barrow hit a lead off home run to left center, giving the Bulls a 2-1 lead. Kent State made a couple of late surges, but the UB defense had an answer each time.

In the sixth inning, Kent State loaded the bases with just one out, but Speckman got a big strikeout and then got the Golden Flashes to pop up to end the threat. Kent State also put a base runner on with one out in the seventh, but a final groundout, fittingly back to Speckman, ended the game.

"There are no words to explain how happy I am with this team right now," said head coach Trena Peel. "They deserve this regular season title because they have busted their butts since August to enjoy this moment. My hat goes off to Ryleigh [Fitzgerald]. Her defense was clutch all game and she made three game-changing plays in the field."

Speckman improved to 19-11 on the season as she has now won five straight decisions. She pitched all seven innings, while allowing just five hits and the one first inning run. She struck out five batters and walked none as she finished the weekend allowing just one earned run in the last 12 innings. Speckman picked up her 200th strikeout of the season in the game.

Offensively, Barrow went 3-for-3 from the plate with the home run, while Luciano also hit a long ball and senior Tori Pettine had UB's other hit with a single.

The 27 wins continue to set a new school record for victories in a year. UB has set numerous single-season records both offensively and in the pitching circle through out the season.

The Bulls enter the MAC Tournament for just the third time in school history. Second-seeded UB will face #7 Northern Illinois on Wednesday evening at 5:00 pm.