SOFTBALL

Roster  |  Coaches  |  Schedule / Results  |  News

BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo softball team lost a single game to the Northern Illinois Huskies, 6-0 at the UB Softball Stadium, despite the efforts of freshman Heather Robbins (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield). The starting pitcher gave up just two earned runs and was 2-for-2 from the plate with a double, but as a team, the Bulls could not get hits when they needed them and they committed four costly errors. The loss drops Buffalo's record to 7-28 overall and 2-11 in the MAC, while Northern Illinois improves to 11-22 overall and 6-5 in the MAC.

The Huskies took advantage of a Buffalo error to put one run across the plate in the second inning, and the score remained 1-0 until the sixth with Buffalo posting four hits and NIU recording just two hits up until that point. The Huskies exploded for four hits in the sixth inning, including a three-run home run by Suzie Rizek. Two more hits and two Buffalo errors in the seventh resulted in NIU's final two runs of the game, and Huskie pitcher Courtney Witvliet remained strong throughout to secure the win.

Witvliet, the 2000 MAC Pitcher of the Year, struck out 11 batters en route to her seventh win of the season, although she did give up eight Buffalo hits. In addition to Robbins' two hits, sophomore Laura Gilcrist (Getzville, NY/Williamsville North) was 2-for-3 from the plate and freshmen Marce Ross (Barrie, Ontario/St. Peter's) and Breanne Nasti (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) and sophomores Jennifer Moore (Williamsville, NY/Delhi (Ont.) District) and Missy Switzer (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West/Valparaiso) each recorded one hit apiece. The Bulls left nine runners stranded on base during the game, eight in the last four innings.

The Bulls and the Huskies will conclude their three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 1 pm at the UB Softball Stadium. After that, Buffalo's only other home games of the 2001 season will take place next weekend when the Bulls play host to Bowling Green in a single game on Friday, April 20 at 3 pm and in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 21 at 1 pm.