SOFTBALL

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BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo softball team (9-21, 5-4 Mid-American Conference) swept a doubleheader from the visiting Akron Zips this afternoon in its home opener at Nan Harvey Field. Junior Lisa Wheat (Olympia, WA/Tumwater) drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Bulls a 2-1 win in game one, and sophomore pitcher Sophie Barstad (Canby, OR/Canby) threw her second shutout of the season in a 2-0 win in game two.

Lisa Wheat

The Zips (17-16, 1-8 MAC) struck first in game one with one run in the top of the third inning. Megan MacKenzie led off the inning with a single to right field, and pinch runner Paige Smith then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rachel Kraus. Kerry Omerza then drove in Smith with a line drive single to left center. The Bulls, however, evened things up in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sophomore Mary Russell (Apalachin, NY/Owego Free Academy) led off with a single to center, freshman Marcy Hansen (Claremont, CA/Claremont) followed with a bunt single, and senior Ann Magur (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott/Connecticut) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, freshman Laura Kor (Beaverton, OR/Westview) drew a walk to tie the score at 1-1. Akron pitcher Tina McCauley then got a line out and a pop out, both to short, to get out of the bases-loaded jam. With the score still tied 1-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, Kor led off with an infield single and then moved to second on a bunt by senior Julie Hibner (Salem, OR/South Salem). Wheat then entered the game as a pinch hitter with one out and laced a pitch to deep left field for a double that scored Kor with the game-winning run. Senior Stacey Evans (Collinsville, IL/Triad) earned the complete-game win, striking out six and allowing four hits. McCauley also went the distance for the Zips, allowing five hits and striking out nine.

Laura Kor

In game two, senior Melissa Pace (Long Beach, CA/Millikan) led off the bottom of the second inning with a single through the left side and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hibner. Freshman Lacy Schneider (Idyllwild, CA/Hemet) then hit a double to left to score Pace with the first run of the game. The Bulls struck again in the bottom of the third with Russell reaching base on a strikeout and passed ball. Russell moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hansen and to third on a groundout by Magur before crossing the plate on an infield single by Kor. The Zips loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fourth on two singles and a Buffalo error, but Barstad got a strikeout, a force out at home and a pop out to end the threat. Barstad gave up just three hits and struck out four for her fifth win of the season, while MacKenzie allowed six hits and one earned run and struck out seven in the complete game for the Zips.

The Bulls and the Zips will conclude their three-game series with a single game on Sunday at 1 pm at Nan Harvey Field.