SOFTBALL

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BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo softball team (9-38, 3-18 MAC) lost all three games of a Mid-American Conference weekend series at Marshall University. The Bulls dropped both ends of a doubleheader on Friday, 2-0 and 4-1, before losing a single game this afternoon by an 8-0 score to the Thundering Herd (34-21, 14-7 MAC).

The Bulls could not figure out Marshall pitcher Sara Gulla in the series opener, with sophomore Jessica Kensy (Cheektowaga, NY/Maryvale) accounting for Buffalo's only hit in the shutout, a double down the right field line in the second inning. After that hit, the Thundering Herd manufactured one run in the bottom of the second and added an insurance run in the fifth for the 2-0 win. Gulla struck out 12 batters while Buffalo pitcher Andrea Sage (Depew, NY/Depew) also went the distance and took the loss on the mound, allowing seven hits.

In the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader, the Bulls snapped Marshall's 35 and one-third inning scoreless streak when a sacrifice fly by senior Kim Lawrence (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg/Erie CC) in the first inning scored freshman Marce Ross (Barrie, Ontario/St. Peter's) with an earned run. Ross had led off the game with a single up the middle. The Thundering Herd, however, took a 2-1 lead in the game following a four-hit third inning, and they added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to get to the 4-1 final. Gulla came on in relief in the final three and two-thirds innings and again shut down the Bulls, allowing no hits and no runs and striking out nine batters to secure the win for Marshall. Freshman Allison Round (Markham, Ontario/Markham District) had two of Buffalo's five hits in the game, and freshman Heather Robbins (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) and sophomore Jennifer Moore (Williamsville, NY/Delhi (Ont). District) were both 1-for-3 from the plate. Robbins took the loss on the mound, allowing 10 hits and striking out one in six innings of work.

The Bulls were held scoreless by Gulla again in the final game of the series as the Marshall pitcher struck out seven and allowed just six hits. The Thundering Herd jumped out to a comfortable lead in the second inning, scoring four runs on three hits and taking advantage of three Buffalo errors. The Bulls committed two more costly errors in the third inning to allow the Herd to put three more runs across the plate, and Marshall added a single run in the fourth inning for the 8-0 victory. Kensy pitched the first two and one-third innings for the Bulls, allowing five hits and just one earned run. Robbins came on in relief and allowed two hits and one earned run in one and two-thirds innings. Kensy was 2-for-2 from the plate to lead the Bulls' offense.

Buffalo is at Niagara on Wednesday, May 2 for a 3 pm doubleheader before closing out the season at Miami (OH) with a three-game series on Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5.