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Softball Sweeps Syracuse, 13-5 and 7-2

Buffalo had an outstanding day offensively, as a trio of players batted over .600 on the day.

Mary Russell

Senior outfielder Mary Russell (Apalachin, NY/Owego) led Buffalo’s offensive attack, ending the day 6-for-7 with seven RBIs, including two home runs, a two-run homer and a grand slam. Russell’s grand slam was the first for a Buffalo player since Breanne Nasti’s grand slam against Stony Brook in 2004. Additionally, Russell finished the two-game series with two stolen bases, a 1.714 slugging percentage and an .875 on base percentage.

Kristen Gallipani (Brewster, NY/Brewster) and Lindsey Hampton (Binghamton, NY/Binghamton) also had solid outings at the plate, as Gallipani batted .750 (3-for-4) with a home run, four RBIs and two walks. Hampton ended the day 5-for-8 (.625) with a double and a triple.

Kristen Gallipani

In game one, Syracuse scored two runs in the bottom of the first but the Bulls mounted an impressive offensive response, beginning in the top of the third. Hampton led things off with a triple to left center and plated UB's first run on a Russell single. Then, with one down, Sharon Barr (Coarsegold, CA/Yosemite Union) found her way to first base after getting hit by a pitch and was moved to second on an Alex Bejarano (Chandler, AZ/Chandler) single through the left side.

Lindsey Hampton

With runners on first and second, Ashley Kanavy (Syracuse, NY/Westhill) nailed a two-RBI double, scoring Bejarano and Barr. Kanavy scored Buffalo’s fourth run of the inning as pitcher Katie Ivancich (Dyer, IN/Andrean) sent a shot to right. With Ivancich on first, Gallipani went deep with her team-leading sixth homer of the season to give the Bulls a 6-2 lead.

Syracuse made things interesting in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs, but once again, UB answered, adding two runs in the top of the fourth and five more through the fifth and sixth innings, highlighted by two Russell homers, a two-run laser in the fourth and a grand slam in the fifth.

Buffalo finished the game with 15 team hits, with Hampton and Russell registering three each. Gallipani, Ivancich and Kanavy turned in two hits each while Marcy Hansen (Claremont, CA/Claremont), Lacy Schneider (Idyllwild, CA/Hemet) and Bejarano recorded one hit each.

Katie Ivancich

Ivancich scored her third win of the season on the mound for Buffalo, throwing the complete game seven-hitter.

In game two, the Orange pushed one across the plate in the bottom of the first, but a two-run homer from Schneider gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead in the top of the second. The Orange eventually tied the game, 2-2 in the bottom stanza of the second.

The Bulls once again took the lead in the top of the third, with Gallipani getting the ball rolling, drawing a leadoff walk. Hansen pushed Gallipani to second with a sacrifice bunt and Hampton got Gallipani to third with a ground ball. Russell then drew a walk, and stole second which allowed Gallipani to score Buffalo’s third run of the game to give the Bulls a 3-2 advantage heading into the bottom half of the inning.

Lacy Schneider

Buffalo then built on its lead in the top of the fifth, as Hampton clobbered a two-out double to right-center. Russell got to first via a bunt single, allowing Hampton to advance to third, ultimately scoring thanks to a Syracuse fielding error, giving UB a 4-2 lead.

In the top of the sixth, the Bulls added three more runs thanks to a Gallipani two-RBI single which allowed both Kanavy and Stephanie Visperas (Newark, CA/Newark Memorial) to score. Gallipani later scored herself on a Hampton single to set the score at 7-2.

Sharon Barr

UB proceeded to hold Syracuse through the sixth and the seventh, to emerge with a 7-2 victory and a two-game sweep.

Barr captured the win on the mound, her third of the season for Buffalo, throwing the complete game six-hitter, with two strikeouts.

The Bulls return to Mid-American Conference action on Friday, as Buffalo is set to host Eastern Michigan in a doubleheader. Game time is scheduled for 1:00 pm on Nan Harvey Field.