Bulls Drop A Pair On Opening Day

Friday, February 12

2 pm

University at Buffalo

0-1

Tenn.-Martin

1-1

Buffalo

Tennessee-Martin

2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

HAMMOND, LA – The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York softball team left a combined 23 runners on base through the first two games on Friday as the Bulls began the 2016 campaign with a pair of losses at the Lion Classic.

In the opener, UB overcame a late deficit against UT-Martin, only to fall in walk-off fashion, 4-3. UB trailed 1-0 after the first inning, but got on the board in the top of the second as freshman Courtney Gilbert opened the inning with an infield single and came around to score on a passed ball. The Bulls left three runners on base however in the first, sixth and seventh innings, unable to break the game open. In the meantime, UT-Martin scored a pair of runs to take a 3-1 lead into the seventh.

Senior Lauren Gambone opened the top of the seventh inning with a single to left and junior Ashton Earnhardt followed that up with another single to put two on. Freshman Katie Weimer recorded UB's third straight hit as she drove in her first collegiate run to pull UB within 3-2. The Bulls loaded the bases with nobody out and with one away senior Kenzie Koch hit an infield single to tie the game up at 3-3. However, a fielder's choice and a fly out ended the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, three straight one-out hits for UT-Martin drove in the winning run. Freshman Lace Smith picked up the loss as she went the distance and allowed nine hits and four runs, just three earned, while striking out five. Gilbert went 3-for-4 in the loss, while Koch and Gambone both had two-hit games.

In the second contest, Southeastern Louisiana struck first with a run in the bottom of the first, but the Bulls responded with two in the top of the second. Sophomore Sarah Edwards reached on a one-out single and following a hit by Koch and a walk to Leandra Jew, UB had the bases loaded with just one away. Junior Savanna Norcio drove in a run with a walk and Earnhardt drove in another on a fielder's choice.

Southeastern Louisiana tied it up in the bottom of the second and broke it open with a four-run fourth. The Bulls got a run back in the fifth on a leadoff home run from Gambone, but the hosts scored two more in the bottom of the sixth. The Bulls loaded the bases with one away in the seventh and freshman Adriana Lis drove in a run on a fielder's choice.

Freshman Ally Power picked up the loss in the circle as she allowed six runs in 3.2 innings of work. Charlotte Miller pitched 1.2 innings, while allowing two runs and freshman Taylor Light pitched the final 0.2 innings, without allowing a hit. Norcio went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, while sophomore Danielle Lallos also had a two-hit game.

The Bulls will play two more games on Saturday beginning with Tennessee State at 11:00 am EST and Nicholls State at 3:30 pm EST.