(GAME 1 BOX)
(GAME 2 BOX)
ITHACA, NY—Buffalo State (32-13) used late-inning magic to stay alive at the NCAA Regional today at Ithaca's Kostrinsky Field, eliminating St. John Fisher (32-12) from the tournament with a 6-4, eight-inning win, before bouncing the University of Rochester (33-12), 3-2.
Krystin Lekki (N. Tonawanda/Niagara-Wheatfield) repeated her heroics from last weekend with a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to keep the Bengals alive in the regional. She was 2 for 4 in the game. Marissa Mariano (Williamsville/Mt. St. Mary) bolstered the offense, going 3 for 3 with a home run, a double, a hit by pitch and four RBIs. Jolene Banach (Cheektowaga/Maryvale) was 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. Nicole Sabuda (Orchard Park/Orchard Park) received no decision, pitching six-plus innings, allowing six hits and four runs. Aimee Fisher (Hamburg/Frontier) earned the win, throwing two innings of relief, allowing one hit and no runs. Buffalo State jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first and two more in the third, before St. John Fisher got back in the game with a three-run fifth. The Cardinals tied the game in the bottom of the seventh and had the potential winning run thrown out at the plate with one out.
Sabuda hit a walk-off RBI single to right field in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the late game and push the Bengals to tomorrow's championship. The Yellowjackets jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the late game, but the Bengals pulled ahead with a two-run third inning. Rochester evened the score, plating a run on a dropped ball in deep center field that scored a runner from second base. Sabuda was 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Julie Joyce (E. Pembroke/Pembroke) was 1 for 3 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI. Fisher threw 6 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run. Jenna Frieling (E. Amherst/Williamsville North) recorded the win, getting the final two outs.
Buffalo State set a new school record for wins in a season with 32, bettering the previous mark of 30, achieved in 2006, 1998 and 1993.
Buffalo State will play Cortland for the seventh time this season tomorrow in the championship game at noon for the right to advance to next week's World Series. If the Bengals win at noon, the two teams will play again at 2 p.m. in a winner-take-all title game.
