Bulls Defeat Cleveland State 5-4 To Conclude Opening Weekend Play

Saturday, February 19

Miami, FL

3:45pm

2-2

Florida International

4-5

Buffalo

FIU

Bulls Defeat Cleveland State 5-4 To Conclude Opening Weekend Play

2/20/2022 1:07:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MIAMI, FL – The University at Buffalo softball team defeated Cleveland State 5-4 on Saturday afternoon in their final game of the Panther Invitational. The Bulls are 3-2 overall through their first weekend of play.

The Bulls started the day by resuming their game against FIU, trailing 6-0 in the top of the fifth. Buffalo got on the board in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Rachel Steffan but that would be all they would get as the comeback fell short.

Freshman Marissa Calloway made her first collegiate appearance in the circle as she gave up just two hits and struck out two batters in two and two thirds innings of work. Sophomore Martha Balthasar also made her first appearance of the season, allowing one hit in two innings.

The Bulls' bats came alive early in game two as Steffan doubled to center field, scoring Madison Fernimen, and Alexis Lucyshyn followed with an RBI single to right to put the Bulls up 2-0 lead at the end of the first.

Buffalo would add to their lead in the bottom of the second as Lucyshyn smacked her second double of the day, this time a two-RBI shot to right, and UB would add another run off of a Cleveland State error to take a 5-0 lead.

Cleveland State broke through in the top of the sixth as they scored four runs on three hits and a UB error to trim the lead to one. The Vikings would then put two baserunners on in the top of the seventh, but Julia Tarantino got CSU's Courtney Fernette to line into a double play to end the inning and seal the victory.

Fernimen and Lucyshyn led UB with a pair of hits each, the latter recording a game-high three RBI. Tarantino picked up her second win of the season as she allowed two runs on just four hits while striking out four batters in six and two thirds innings of work.

Buffalo returns to action next weekend as they travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico to take part in the Lobo Classic, hosted by New Mexico, February 24-26.