Late Heroics Lead Bulls To Doubleheader Sweep Of Toledo

Saturday, March 26

12 pm

8-19, 2-0

Toledo

5-22, 0-2

Toledo

Buffalo

Late Heroics Lead Bulls To Doubleheader Sweep Of Toledo

3/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

TOLEDO, OH – The University at Buffalo softball team swept Toledo on Saturday in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams. Despite the Bulls being the home team, the games were played at Toledo. UB won the first game 1-0 in walk-off fashion, while they came back with a 2-1 victory in game two. UB has now won four straight games and the Bulls have won their first two conference games for the first time since joining the MAC.

In the first game, UB got a stellar pitching performance from sophomore Charlotte Miller, who pitched 7.0 shutout innings, scattering six hits and striking out three. The Bulls had 11 hits in the game, but had trouble driving runners in as they left eight on base. UB loaded the bases with nobody out in the third, but couldn't get a run home as the Bulls had runners on base in every inning in the opener.

UB finally struck through in the bottom of the seventh as freshman Courtney Gilbert opened the inning with a single up the middle. Following a fielder's choice which put Ashton Earnhardt at first with two away, freshman Katie Weimer stepped to plate and belted a walk-off triple to left field, which scored the winning run.

Miller picked up her third win of the season with the complete-game shutout. Earnhardt, Weimer, Gilbert and sophomore Sarah Edwards each had two-hit games.

In the second contest, the Bulls got another solid pitching performance from freshman Brieanna Baker, who allowed a single run in the top of the second, but then held the Rockets off the board for the rest of the afternoon.

UB was able to load the bases in the bottom of the third, but could not score, however they finally broke through in the sixth. Weimer opened the inning with a single and sophomore Danielle Lallos reached base following an error on a sacrifice bunt. UB loaded the bases following a bunt single from Leandra Jew and senior Kenzie Koch then stepped to the plate and singled right back up the middle to drive in two and give the Bulls the lead.

Baker shut down the Rockets in the top of the seventh, including a pair of strikeouts to clinch the win for UB. The victory was the second for Baker this season as she went all seven innings and allowed four hits, while striking out five.

Buffalo had five hits, including three coming in that big sixth inning. Jew went 2-for-3 from the plate in the game.

"I'm just excited," said head coach Trena Peel. "We have been through a lot, we have fought and we have had a lot of ups and downs leading to this point, but it has all prepared us for this opportunity. We had a lot of pressure situations on defense that we have been in before and failed, but this time we were able to get out of some tough situations. Everyone made great plays today and I couldn't be more proud."

The Bulls will look for the series sweep of Toledo tomorrow afternoon at Scott Park with a 12:00 pm first pitch.