13-27, 7-6
Bowling Green
16-26, 4-9
Bulls Continue Offensive Outburst In Doubleheader Sweep
4/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo softball team scored another 19 runs on Saturday, bringing their weekend total to 28 in a three-game sweep of the Bowling Green Falcons. The Bulls took the doubleheader on Saturday by scores of 9-3 and 10-5, respectively. With the victories, UB is now 14-27 and 8-6 in MAC play. It is just the sixth time since 2001 that UB has recorded at least eight conference wins in a season.
The Bulls got off to a quick start to the afternoon scoring seven runs over the first two innings. UB took advantage of a wild Kiley Sosby in game one as she issued four walks in the first inning, which scored the first Buffalo run. With the bases still loaded and two away, senior Lauren Gambone doubled to left center, clearing the bases and giving the Bulls a 4-0 edge.
The Falcons got one back in the top of the second, but UB put two runners in scoring position for freshman Katie Weimer who homered to left center, putting the Bulls ahead 7-1. In the bottom of the third, UB plated two more runs as freshman Courtney Gilbert doubled to right center, scoring Gambone and senior Kenzie Koch, giving Buffalo a 9-1 lead. The Falcons tacked on single runs in the fourth and sixth.
Sophomore Charlotte Miller picked up the victory as she evened her record to 6-6 on the year, pitching 6.0 innings and allowing eight hits and three runs. Freshman Lace Smith pitched a perfect seventh inning, striking out two.
Gambone went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in, while junior Savanna Norcio went 2-for-3. Weimer drove in three runs in the game, while Gilbert had two RBI's and junior Ashton Earnhardt finished with one.
After nine-run contests in the first two games of the series, the Bulls saved their biggest offensive performance for the series finale, scoring 10. The Bulls hung up crooked numbers in three different innings.
A solo home run from Weimer in the bottom of the first opened the scoring in game two, as she hit her second long ball of the afternoon and ninth of the season, tied for third most in school history. UB continued to lead 1-0 into the bottom of the third when the Bulls loaded the bases with nobody out.
Following a pitching change and a fly out, the Bulls got back-to-back singles into left field from Earnhardt and Gambone, which each scored a run. An RBI groundout by Koch increased the UB lead to 4-0. BG got one run back in the top of the fourth, but Buffalo responded with another three-run inning in the bottom half.
UB again loaded the bases in the frame, and with two outs Earnhardt hit an infield single to score a run. Gambone drove in another run with a single to left field and Koch drove one in on a bases loaded walk, extending the UB lead to 7-1. Bowling Green scored two runs in the top of the sixth to pull within 7-3, but again the Bulls responded in the bottom half of the inning.
Earnhardt hit a one-out double to put two in scoring position and Koch then singled to left field, which drove in pinch runner Taylor Scott. With two runners on, sophomore Sarah Edwards came on as a pinch hitter and she singled to left field, driving in two more runs. Bowling Green tacked on two in the top of the seventh, but UB came away with the 10-5 win.
Smith picks up her fifth win of the season as she pitched 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, but struck out six batters, her most in a game since the opening weekend of the season. Fellow freshman Brieanna Baker came in to pitch the seventh.
Earnhardt went 3-for-4 from the plate with two runs batted in, while Gambone went 2-of-4 with 2 RBI's. Koch drove in three runs, while Edwards added two. Gambone finished the doubleheader 4-of-7 with five runs batted in.
"We stayed focused for a complete day from the first out to the last out and that was our goal to be intense for two complete games and not to let up and be comfortable and complacent," said head coach Trena Peel. "We swung the bats with confidence. It is about confidence and believing in themselves. We didn't really focus too much on the other team's pitchers, we focused on staying composed and staying in our green light zone and we knew if we did that, we would do good things."
With no mid-week game this week, the Bulls will be back in action next weekend in a three-game series at Kent State. The first game will be on Friday afternoon at 3pm.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Miller, Charlotte (6-6)
L: Kiley SOSBY (9-6)
Batting:
2B: Braiden DILLOW 1
RBI: Morgan EVANGELISTA 1 ; Marina COBBS 1 ; Hannah GIAMMARINO 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Marisa SHOOK 1 ; Braiden DILLOW 2
HBP: Morgan EVANGELISTA 2
Batting:
2B: Norcio, Savanna 1 ; Gambone, Lauren 1 ; Gilbert, Courtney 1
HR: Weimer, Katie 1
RBI: Weimer, Katie 3 ; Earnhardt, Ashton 1 ; Gambone, Lauren 3 ; Gilbert, Courtney 2
SH: Jew, Leandra 1 ; Koch, Kenzie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Norcio, Savanna 1 ; Jew, Leandra 1 ; Weimer, Katie 2 ; Robertson, Catrell 1 ; Earnhardt, Ashton 1 ; Gambone, Lauren 1 ; Koch, Kenzie 1 ; Gilbert, Courtney 1
SB: Earnhardt, Ashton 1
CS: Lis, Adriana 1
