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BULLS EARN FIRST-EVER MAC WINS

After dropping a doubleheader to Akron on Monday to close out a three-game series with the Zips, the Bulls took two of three games from Western Michigan over the weekend for their first-ever Mid-American Conference victories. The 2001 season is Buffalo's inaugural season competing in the MAC in softball.

In the series opener on Friday, the Bulls held off a late rally by the Broncos to earn a 6-4 win, led by senior Kim Lawrence (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg/Erie CC) and freshmen Breanne Nasti (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) and Allison Round (Markham, Ontario/Markham District), who combined for nine of Buffalo's 11 hits on the afternoon. Nasti drove in three of Buffalo's six runs, one on a double in the first inning and two on a sixth-inning home run, and Round recorded two RBIs on the game, one on a second-inning double and one with a triple in the sixth.

The Bulls lost the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, 3-2, after opening the scoring with two runs in the top of the third inning when freshman Heather Robbins (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) tripled to drive in two runs. The Broncos, however, answered back with two runs in the bottom of the third, and they strung together three singles in the bottom of the seventh inning to put the winning run across the plate.

In the nightcap, the Bulls scored all five of their runs in the second inning and halted the Broncos' rally at four runs in the third to hold on for the 5-4 win. A double by sophomore Jennifer Moore (Williamsville, NY/Delhi (Ont.) District) drove in Buffalo's first run of the game, and the Bulls used three hits and three WMU errors to put four more runs across the plate before the second inning was over. Moore led the Bulls with two hits in the game, and Nasti was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Round and sophomore Laura Gilcrist (Getzville, NY/Williamsville North) also drove in one run apiece.

NASTI CLOSES IN ON ANOTHER RECORD

In the three-game series with Western Michigan, freshman Breanne Nasti (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) hit .556 (5-9) and drove in five of Buffalo's 13 runs to lead the Bulls to their first-ever MAC wins. Nasti had six hits in five games last week, and she is just three hits away from setting a UB single-season record for hits. Nasti currently leads the Bulls with 39 hits, 18 runs scored, a .406 batting average (39-96), an .813 slugging percentage and school records of 13 doubles, eight home runs and 33 RBIs on the season.

ROBBINS PRODUCES ON THE MOUND AND AT THE PLATE

Freshman pitcher Heather Robbins (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) threw three complete games last week, including Buffalo's first two MAC wins of the year at Western Michigan, to improve her conference record to 2-4. Robbins also hit .267 (4-15) with a double, a triple and three RBIs in Buffalo's five games. Her first career triple drove in the Bulls' only two runs in their 3-2 loss at WMU.

HOME RUN HITTERS

As a team, the Bulls have hit a school-record 14 home runs this season, with four of them coming in five games last week. Against Akron on Monday, sophomore Kelly Malone (Waterford, MI/Waterford Kettering) hit her third home run of the year in a 12-2 loss, and sophomore Jessica Kensy (Cheektowaga, NY/Maryvale) and freshman Allison Round (Markham, Ontario/Markham District) both connected for their first career round trippers in a 6-5 loss. Against Western Michigan on Friday, freshman Breanne Nasti (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) hit her school-record eighth home run of the season to help the Bulls to a 6-4 win.

2001 SCHEDULE/RESULTS

February
at Sam Houston State's McKenzie's Valentine's Classic
Fri., 9 vs. Sam Houston State L, 1-2
vs. Illinois L, 0-6
vs. Texas Southern W, 12-1
Sat., 10 vs. Illinois L, 2-6
vs. Sam Houston State L, 8-9
vs. Texas Southern W, 5-3
March
at Southeast Missouri State Softball Classic
Fri., 2 vs. Illinois-Chicago L, 3-7
Sat., 3 vs. Northern Iowa L, 0-6
vs. Southwest Missouri L, 4-5 (8 inn)
Sun., 4 vs. Western Kentucky cancelled
vs. Southeast Missouri cancelled

at Creighton University Invitational
Fri., 9 vs. Creighton L, 0-1
vs. Drake L, 1-2
vs. Missouri-Kansas City L, 6-7
Sat., 10 vs. Minnesota L, 1-8
vs. Nebraska L, 0-5

Sun., 11 at Missouri-Kansas City L, 1-2

at Ohio State Invitational
Fri., 16 vs. Ohio State L, 0-6
vs. Cleveland State L, 7-9
Sat., 17 vs. IUPUI L, 0-9
Sun., 18 vs. Ohio State L, 1-9
vs. IUPUI W, 13-2

Fri., 23 at Kent State* (DH) L, 0-1; L, 1-4
Sat., 24 at Kent State* L, 3-5
Fri., 30 OHIO* postponed
Sat., 31 OHIO* (TH) L, 0-2; L, 2-3; L, 1-7
April
Sun., 1 AKRON* L, 0-5
Mon., 2 AKRON* (DH) L, 2-12; L, 5-6
Fri., 6 at Western Michigan* W, 6-4
Sat., 7 at Western Michigan* (DH) L, 2-3; W, 5-4
Wed., 11 ST. BONAVENTURE (DH) 3:00 pm
Fri., 13 NORTHERN ILLINOIS* 3:00 pm
Sat., 14 NORTHERN ILLINOIS* (DH) 1:00 pm
Tues., 17 at Canisius (DH) 3:00 pm
Fri., 20 BOWLING GREEN* 3:00 pm
Sat., 21 BOWLING GREEN* (DH) 1:00 pm
Wed., 25 at St. Bonaventure (DH) 3:00 pm
Fri., 27 at Marshall* 3:00 pm
Sat., 28 at Marshall* (DH) 1:00 pm
May
Wed., 2 at Niagara 3:00 pm
Fri., 4 at Miami, OH* 3:00 pm
Sat., 5 at Miami, OH* (DH) 1:00 pm
Thurs., 10- MAC Championships TBA
Sat., 12 (at highest seed)

*Denotes MAC game ·All times local to site
(DH) Denotes doubleheader · (TH) Denotes tripleheader