Bulls Fall Short In Marathon MAC Tournament Game

Friday, May 9

6 pm

29-21

Ohio

31-24

OHIO

Buffalo

Bulls Fall Short In Marathon MAC Tournament Game

5/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

AKRON, OH - Two of the top pitchers in the Mid-American Conference went up against each other on Friday and one swing of the bat in the top of the 13th inning was the difference as Ohio defeated Buffalo, 2-0, in the winner's bracket final, snapping UB's eight-game winning streak. The Bulls now have two win three times on Saturday to claim a MAC Title.

UB senior Tori Speckman and Ohio sophomore Savannah Jo Doresey combined to throw 371 pitches and face 103 batters in the 13-inning affair. UB left a runner on base in each of the first two innings and Ohio got into the hit column for the first time in the third. UB had its first real threat in the fourth, putting a runner at second with one out, but the Bulls could not convert.

The game continued to move along into the seventh inning when it looked like the Bobcats were going to get on the board. Ohio loaded the bases with one away and a fly ball was caught in foul territory by second baseman Ryleigh Fitzgerald. The runner came in to score from third, but it was ruled that she left the base early for the final out of the inning. UB put one on in the bottom of the seventh, but the game moved into extra innings.

Junior Alexis Curtiss reached second on a one-out double in the ninth, but a strike out and fly out ended the threat. Freshman Ashton Earnhardt drew a lead off walk in the 10th, but couldn't get past second. Another leadoff runner reached for the Bulls in the 11th, but again they couldn't get past second.

The game continued to into the 13th inning and the Bulls retired the first two Ohio batters, but a two-out single kept the inning alive and Dakota Pyles continued her strong evening as she hit a two-run home run just over the left field fence. Pyles had four hits on the night. UB was able to get a one-out base runner on in the bottom of the 13th, but couldn't score.

"That was a tough loss and both teams played great tonight," said head coach Trena Peel. "It came down to who was going to get the timely hit."

Speckman pitched all 13 innings as her record moved to 21-12 on the year. She struck out nine batters and scattered 10 hits through out the night. Dorsey won her 24th game as she allowed just five hits to the Bulls and she struck out 13 batters.

The top three batters in the UB lineup all recorded hits, as did juniors Karly Nevez and Hayley Barrow.

Tonight's game was the third longest in MAC Tournament history and the longest game since the 1998 tournament.

The Bulls remain in contention for their first MAC Title, but they will have to win three games tomorrow beginning at 11:00am when they face Northern Illinois, who defeated Central Michigan late Friday night. UB defeated NIU on Wednesday in tournament play.