Saturday, April 23
Buffalo, NY
1:00pm
16-19, 0
11
vs
8
Ball State
18-24, 0
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2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Ball State
0
3
4
0
0
1
0
8
11
0
Buffalo
1
2
6
2
0
0
X
11
10
2
Offense Shines As Bulls Sweep Saturday Doubleheader Against Ball State
4/23/2022 6:21:00 PM | Softball
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo softball team recorded 20 hits on the day as the Bulls swept their doubleheader against Ball State at Nan Harvey Field on Saturday afternoon. UB rallied for an 11-8 win over in game one before defeating the Cardinals 9-4 in game two.
The Bulls struck first in game one as Anna Aguon drew a lead off walk and later, Alexis Lucyshyn ripped a single to the wall in center field to give the Bulls an early 1-0 lead.
Ball State answered in the top of the second as they scored three runs on a pair of home runs to go up 3-1 but Buffalo clawed back in the bottom of the inning as Aguon dropped an RBI single into shallow left field and Olivia Kincanon followed with an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at three.
The long ball continued to power the Cardinals in the top of the third as Delanie Johnson hit a three-run shot to right to put Ball State up 7-3. The Bulls clawed back in the bottom of the inning as Lucyshyn led off with a single before Brianna Castro smacked an RBI single to center and later, Aguon drew a bases loaded walk to pull UB within two, but Buffalo was not done yet as Kincanon stepped up with the bases loaded and drilled a grand slam over the wall in straightaway center field to give the Bulls a 9-7 lead.
The Bulls added a pair of insurance runs on a sac fly RBI by Madison Fernimen and an RBI single from Kate Vara to go up 11-7 through four innings of play.
The Buffalo defense came up big in the top of the seventh as Ally Sobaszek turned a beautiful double play to start the inning and that was all UB needed as Julia Tarantino finished off the Cardinals for a complete game victory in the circle.
Ball State got the bats going early in game two as they scored three runs on five hits in the top of the first to take an early 3-0 lead. Buffalo answered in the bottom of the inning as they scored four runs on hits by Lucyshyn and Castro while also scoring on a double steal and a Ball State error to go up 4-3 at the end of the first.
The Cardinals tied the game on a solo home run in the top of the fourth, but the Bulls retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Castro ripped a two-run double to the wall in left center field to put UB up 6-4 at the end of the fifth.
Freshman Marissa Calloway retired the Cardinals in order in the top of the sixth and the Bulls' offense capitalized in the bottom of the inning as Rachel Steffan blasted a three-run home run to right to put UB up 9-4 and that was more than enough as Calloway held Ball State scoreless in the bottom of the inning to secure her first career win and complete game.
"What a great day," said head coach Mike Ruechel. "Our hitting was huge for us today. We got some clutch hits, Olivia's grand slam, Rachel's home run to give us that extra cushion, and that gives our pitcher's some comfort. Marissa and Julia overcame tough opening innings and really battled hard and controlled the rest of the game."
Buffalo concludes the series with a single game on Sunday at 12pm. It will be Senior Day with a ceremony to follow the game.
The Bulls struck first in game one as Anna Aguon drew a lead off walk and later, Alexis Lucyshyn ripped a single to the wall in center field to give the Bulls an early 1-0 lead.
Ball State answered in the top of the second as they scored three runs on a pair of home runs to go up 3-1 but Buffalo clawed back in the bottom of the inning as Aguon dropped an RBI single into shallow left field and Olivia Kincanon followed with an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at three.
The long ball continued to power the Cardinals in the top of the third as Delanie Johnson hit a three-run shot to right to put Ball State up 7-3. The Bulls clawed back in the bottom of the inning as Lucyshyn led off with a single before Brianna Castro smacked an RBI single to center and later, Aguon drew a bases loaded walk to pull UB within two, but Buffalo was not done yet as Kincanon stepped up with the bases loaded and drilled a grand slam over the wall in straightaway center field to give the Bulls a 9-7 lead.
The Bulls added a pair of insurance runs on a sac fly RBI by Madison Fernimen and an RBI single from Kate Vara to go up 11-7 through four innings of play.
The Buffalo defense came up big in the top of the seventh as Ally Sobaszek turned a beautiful double play to start the inning and that was all UB needed as Julia Tarantino finished off the Cardinals for a complete game victory in the circle.
Ball State got the bats going early in game two as they scored three runs on five hits in the top of the first to take an early 3-0 lead. Buffalo answered in the bottom of the inning as they scored four runs on hits by Lucyshyn and Castro while also scoring on a double steal and a Ball State error to go up 4-3 at the end of the first.
The Cardinals tied the game on a solo home run in the top of the fourth, but the Bulls retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Castro ripped a two-run double to the wall in left center field to put UB up 6-4 at the end of the fifth.
Freshman Marissa Calloway retired the Cardinals in order in the top of the sixth and the Bulls' offense capitalized in the bottom of the inning as Rachel Steffan blasted a three-run home run to right to put UB up 9-4 and that was more than enough as Calloway held Ball State scoreless in the bottom of the inning to secure her first career win and complete game.
"What a great day," said head coach Mike Ruechel. "Our hitting was huge for us today. We got some clutch hits, Olivia's grand slam, Rachel's home run to give us that extra cushion, and that gives our pitcher's some comfort. Marissa and Julia overcame tough opening innings and really battled hard and controlled the rest of the game."
Buffalo concludes the series with a single game on Sunday at 12pm. It will be Senior Day with a ceremony to follow the game.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tarantino, Julia (8-11)
L: EUBANK, Emma (3-5)
Batting:
2B: WYNN, Haley 1
HR: RICHARDS, Emma 1 ; JOHNSON, Delanie 1 ; MATHEWS, Kaitlyn 1
RBI: DANIEL, Amaia 1 ; RICHARDS, Emma 2 ; JOHNSON, Delanie 3 ; MATHEWS, Kaitlyn 2
SH: WYNN, Haley 1 ; ROSS, Remington 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WYNN, Haley 1 ; MATA, Samantha-Jo 1 ; RICHARDS, Emma 2 ; ROSS, Remington 1 ; JOHNSON, Delanie 1 ; MATHEWS, Kaitlyn 2
SB: ROSS, Remington 1 ; MATHEWS, Kaitlyn 1
Batting:
2B: Castro, Brianna 1
HR: Kincanon, Olivia 1
RBI: Aguon, Anna 2 ; Kincanon, Olivia 5 ; Lucyshyn, Alexis 1 ; Castro, Brianna 1 ; Fernimen, Madison 1 ; Vara, Kate 1
SF: Fernimen, Madison 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Aguon, Anna 2 ; Kincanon, Olivia 1 ; Lucyshyn, Alexis 1 ; Matheney, Alexis 2 ; Castro, Brianna 2 ; Fernimen, Madison 2 ; Sobaszek, Ally 1
SB: Aguon, Anna 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
5
AB
1
R
2
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Softball
P/3B
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF/UTL
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballP/1B
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
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