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Breanne Nasti

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo softball team used a late-inning rally to earn a split in a doubleheader played at Mid-American Conference West Division leader Western Michigan this afternoon. The Broncos pulled out a 1-0 win in game one and then jumped out to a 4-0 lead in game two, but the Bulls scored three runs in the sixth inning and four runs in the seventh inning to earn the split with a 7-4 victory. Junior Breanne Nasti (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) saw her 10-game hitting streak snapped in game one, but she led the Bulls in game two with four runs batted in. Senior Kelly Malone (Waterford, MI/Waterford Kettering) hit her third home run of the year in game two, finishing 2-for-3 from the plate with two RBIs to aid in the Buffalo comeback. The loss for the Broncos (25-19 overall, 15-6 MAC) in game two was just their sixth conference loss of the season and dropped them out of first place in the MAC's West Division for the first time in three weeks.

Game one shaped up to be a pitchers' dual with both Buffalo sophomore Stacey Evans (Collinsville, IL/Triad) and WMU's Laura Stewart allowing just five hits each and Evans striking out eight and Stewart striking out 10 batters in the game. The Broncos put the only run of the game across the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning when Angie Fiero led off with a single to center, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kelly Barnett and then scored on a single to center by Jaymie Voss. Sophomore Ann Magur (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) led the Bulls' offense in game one, going 2-for-3 from the leadoff position.

WMU scored runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings of the nightcap to jump out to a 4-0 lead, but the Bulls came charging back in the sixth and seventh to steal the victory. A sacrifice fly by Nasti and a two-run home run by Malone in the sixth cut the Broncos' lead to 4-3, and the Bulls then put four runs across the plate in the seventh. Junior Dominique Jones (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville DeWitt), sophomore Melissa Pace (Long Beach, CA/Millikan) and freshman Lauren Picciano (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) strung together three straight singles, and Jones then crossed the plate on a throwing error by WMU's shortstop following a grounder by Magur. Nasti then hit a two-out double to right center that cleared the bases and put the Bulls ahead by the 7-4 final. Buffalo pitcher Heather Robbins (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) went the distance on the mound, picking up her fourth win of the season while allowing 14 hits and striking out two. Western Michigan's Leah Seffernick allowed nine hits and just three earned runs while striking out one.

The Bulls (18-18, 7-10 MAC) are now home for their final three-game series of the regular season this weekend against Akron on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single game will both begin at 1 pm. In-between games one and two on Saturday, there will be a special ceremony during which the UB Softball Stadium will be renamed Nan Harvey Field in recognition of a monetary gift from Nan Harvey, UB Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator.