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Bulls Tackle Tough Teams In Texas

Marie Curran

The University at Buffalo softball team competed in the 3rd Annual University of Texas-El Paso Invitational over the weekend. The Bulls dropped four competitive contests and picked up their first win of the season to return home from the Long Horn State with a 4th place finish in the five team field, consisting of UTEP, Utah, Wisconsin, Northern Colorado and Buffalo. Host school UTEP won its tournament, chiseling away both Wisconsin and Utah on Helen of Troy Field on Sunday to earn what was the first tournament title for the Miners in UTEP softball history.

Bulls Grab First Win Against Bears

In the single elimination round of play on Saturday night, 5th-seeded UB was rematched with 4th-seeded Northern Colorado, a team the Bulls had lost to 12-4 on Friday. With the score close through six, Buffalo emerged with its first win of the season when a Northern Colorado player was ejected and the Bears were unable to replace her, therefore allowing Buffalo to gain the automatic victory.

Base Burglars

Mary Russell

Already the Division I UB career record holder for stolen bases with 38, senior Mary Russell (Apalachin, NY/Owego Free Academy) is well on her way to extending her record. Through the team’s first 10 games of the season, Russell is a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases, and on track to run away with her own single-season record of 15 stolen bases that she set in 2004.

Also keeping the wind at her back is freshman walk-on Samantha Gaetano (Rochester, NY/Nazarath Academy). Having started seven games so far this season, the speedy freshman is a solid 5-for-5 on the basepaths for the Bulls.

As a team, Buffalo is 15-for-16 in stolen bases and on pace to eclipse last year’s 37-for-49 record in swipes.

No Barr-n For This Workhorse

Freshman Sharon Barr (Coarsegold, CA/Yosemite Union) has been clutch on the mound for the Bulls through the team’s first two tournaments. In her debut season, Barr has been a workhorse for Buffalo, appearing on the mound in eight of the team’s 10 games. Barr has thrown 31.2 innings amassing a team-low ERA of 5.75.

Next Up

The Bulls will enjoy a two week hiatus before heading down to the Sunshine State to participate in the Florida State Invitational. Buffalo will get its first test of the tournament, as the Bulls are slated to take on No. 18 Georgia on Fri., March 9. UB is also scheduled to take on No. 24 Southern Illinois on Sat., March 10 with games against Western Carolina and Florida A&M set to round out the Bulls’ bracket.