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Breanne Nasti

BUFFALO, NY - Sophomore Breanne Nasti (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it was too little too late as the University at Buffalo softball team fell to the visiting Kent State Golden Flashes by a 6-4 score at the UB Softball Stadium in the final game of the three-game series. The loss drops the Bulls' record to 5-20 overall and 2-13 in the Mid-American Conference.

With starting pitchers Stacey Evans (Collinsville, IL/Triad) for Buffalo, coming off a one-hit shutout win in the series opener, and Kate Leary for Kent State, coming off a three-hit shutout win in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader, today's game remained scoreless until the fifth inning. Kent State then took a 3-0 lead on a two-run double to right field by Lea Dorto and a one-run single to center by Megan McGaughey. A first-pitch leadoff home run to left by Renee Lynch in the sixth inning gave the Golden Flashes a 4-0 lead, and pinch-runner Abby Molnar scored the fifth run of the game on a failed pickoff attempt when the throw got by Buffalo third baseman Melissa Pace (Long Beach, CA/Millikan).

The Bulls got on the board in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs on one hit and being aided by two Kent State errors. Sophomore Marce Ross (Innisfil, Ontario/St. Peter's) reached on an error by Dorto, and she came around to score on a single to center by freshman Julie Hibner (Salem, OR/South Salem). Hibner then scored on an errant throw by third baseman Le Ann Fonner trying to get sophomore Heather Robbins (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) out at first. Fonner redeemed herself in the top of the seventh with a sacrifice bunt to score Marci Ridenbaugh, who had led off the inning with a double down the left field line.

Sophomore Allison Round (Markham, Ontario/Markham District) hit a one-out single to right field in the seventh to give the Bulls a chance at a comeback. After Ross popped up to short, Nasti belted her sixth homer of the season over the fence in left center to get the Bulls within two, but Leary got freshman Ann Marie Magur (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott/Connecticut) to fly out to center to end the game.

Leary struck out seven and allowed just two earned runs to improve her record to 9-6 on the year. Evans took the loss for the Bulls, going six innings, striking out five batters and allowing seven hits and four earned runs.

The Bulls host Niagara on Monday, April 22 and Canisius on Tuesday, April 23 in 3 pm doubleheaders at the UB Softball Stadium.