(BOX SCORE)

ITHACA, NY—Nicole Maher (Waterloo/Waterloo) went 3 for 3 with two doubles and two runs scored to lead Buffalo State (30-12) to a 5-2 victory over Penn State Behrend (33-7) in an NCAA Regional game today at Kostrinsky Field at Ithaca College. The win was the first NCAA playoff win for Buffalo State since 1996.

Nicole Sabuda (Orchard Park/Orchard Park) earned the win, allowing just four hits and no earned runs. She was also 1 for 3 with two RBIs. Marissa Mariano (Williamsville/Mt. St. Mary) and Jolene Banach (Cheektowaga/Maryvale) both added RBI singles.

The Bengals, seeded fourth in the seven-team bracket, finally broke through on the fifth-seeded Lions, with an infield single by Sabuda, scoring Maher in the fourth inning. Buffalo State went on to load the bases with one out, but could not cash in. Behrend pulled ahead in the top of the fifth, scoring two runs on one hit and three errors. Buffalo State capitalized on some sloppy fielding by the Lions in the bottom of the fifth, plating four runs on just two hits to take a lead it would not relinquish.

This is the Bengals' fourth 30-win season and first since 2006.

Buffalo State will play top-seeded Cortland tomorrow at 2 p.m. for the sixth time this season. The Red Dragons have won three times, but the Bengals took two of three last weekend to win the SUNYAC title.