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Breanne Nasti

BUFFALO, NY - After more than a two-hour rain delay, the University at Buffalo softball team and the Western Michigan Broncos finally concluded their three-game series with a single game this afternoon at Nan Harvey Field. Senior Breanne Nasti (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score at 2-2 and force extra innings, but the Broncos took advantage of two Buffalo throwing errors in the eighth to score twice for the 4-2 final. With the loss, Buffalo falls to 18-21 overall and 6-8 in the Mid-American Conference while Western Michigan improves to 25-20 overall and 12-6 in the MAC.

The game was tightly-contested through the first four innings before the Broncos broke things open with two runs in the top of the fifth. Mary McCloskey drew a two-out walk, stole second and then scored on a single to left by Kelly Barnett. Barnett advanced to second on the throw home and then scored on a high pop fly by Jaymie Voss that dropped in shallow center field. Amy Fleming then flied out to left to end the inning.

Freshman Sophie Barstad (Canby, OR/Canby) gave the Bulls some life in the bottom of the sixth when she led off with a double down the right field line. Western Michigan pitcher Laura Stewart then struck out the next two batters before junior Melissa Pace (Long Beach, CA/Millikan) hit an infield single that moved pinch-runner Colleen Greene (Cheektowaga, NY/Cleveland Hill) to third. Junior Julie Hibner (Salem, OR/South Salem) then drove in Greene with a single to left. The Broncos got out of the jam when McCloskey made a running catch in right field on a fly ball by sophomore Lauren Picciano (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) to end the inning.

After retiring the side in the top of the seventh, the Bulls tied the game at 2-2 when Nasti hit a leadoff home run to center field. Freshman Mary Russell (Apalachin, NY/Owego Free Academy) and junior Ann Magur (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott/Connecticut) followed with back-to-back singles before Barstad hit into a double play that moved Russell to third. Stewart then got senior Marce Ross (Innisfil, Ontario/St. Peter's) to foul out to the catcher to send the game to extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, Voss started things off with a single to short, and a sacrifice bunt by Fleming advanced her to second. Kristi Strange then hit a grounder to short, and Voss went all the way home when Picciano's throw to first was off the mark. Strange advanced to second and was then replaced by pinch runner Corey Andrzejewski. After Buffalo pitcher Stacey Evans (Collinsville, IL/Triad) struck out Katie Niemi for the second out of the inning, Stefanie Scheumann hit a grounder to third, and another UB throwing error allowed Andrzejewski to score to put the Broncos up by two. Evans then struck out Jenna Stuppy to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Pace singled with one out, but was then tagged out on her way to second on a fielder's choice by Hibner. Stewart then struck out Picciano to end the game.

Stewart improved to 18-10 on the season with the complete-game victory, allowing nine hits and striking out seven. Evans suffered the loss for the Bulls, allowing six hits, two earned runs and striking out three.

The Bulls next play a non-conference doubleheader at St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, April 28 at 3 pm.