LEESBURG, Fla.—Buffalo State rallied from an early deficit to defeat Union 9-8 in eight innings before falling short against Clarkson 6-5 in nine innings in today's opening day of its 12-game stay in Florida.
GAME #1 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 9, Union – 8 (8 inn.)
LOCATION: Sleepy Hollow Softball Complex – Leesburg, Fla.
RECORDS: Buffalo State (1-4), Union (0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Cassandra O'Hern (Augusta, NJ/High Point) was 3 for 3 with a pair of home runs and six RBIs to pace Buffalo State to the victory.
- Laura Crooks (Niagara Falls/Niagara Wheatfield) was 2 for 4 with a double and three runs scored, and Kaelee Lynch (Atwater, CA/Buhach Colony) was 2 for 3
- Union jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, but O'Hern belted a three-run shot for her first collegiate home run in the bottom of the second to even the score.
- The Dutchwomen plated another run in the third and two more in the fifth inning to restore the three-run lead before O'Hern blasted another three-run homer to even the score in the sixth.
- The international tiebreaker rule went into effect in the first extra inning and the Dutchwomen were able to plate their baserunner to take an 8-7 advantage.
- In the bottom of the inning, the Bengals moved their runner to third with a sacrifice bunt, followed by a bunt single by Crooks. After an intentional walk of O'Hern, the Bengals capitalized on a throwing error by the Union short stop that allowed the tying and winning runs to score.
- The Bengals finished with 13 hits, compared to 11 by Union.
- Allie Block (N. Tonawanda/Starpoint) was officially credited with the win, striking out the only batter she faced in the final inning.
- Scarlett Whitman (Grand Island/Grand Island) started the game, allowing eight hits and seven runs (five earned) in five innings, and Nicole Adams (Lockport/Starpoint) threw 2 2/3 innings, surrendering three hits and one unearned run.
FOR THE FOES
- Laura Aptowitz led Union's bats, going 3 for 4 with two doubles and two runs scored.
GAME #2 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Clarkson – 6, Buffalo State – 5 (9 inn.)
LOCATION: Sleepy Hollow Softball Complex – Leesburg, Fla.
RECORDS: Clarkson (5-3), Buffalo State (1-5)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Buffalo State battled back again with two runs in the seventh to force extra innings again in the late game, but could not close it out in a 6-5 loss.
- Crooks and O'Hern stayed hot at the plate combining for five of the Bengals' 15 hits. Crooks was 3 for 5 with two runs, and O'Hern finished 2 for 4 and scored a run.
- Danielle Szymkowiak (Cheektowaga/Cheektowaga) was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, and Block, Emily Frajdofer (Cheektowaga/JFK) and Kaelee Lynch (Atwater, CA/Buhach Colony) also added two hits apiece.
- The Bengals twice erased two-run deficits. After trailing 3-1 early, the Bengals scored one run in the fourth and then evened the score at 3-3 with an RBI double by Block in the fifth.
- The Golden Knights pulled back in front with a two-run home run in the sixth, by Szymkowiak's two-run single in the seventh knotted the score at 5-5. The Bengals proceeded to load the bases with just one out in the inning, but could not plate a winning run.
- Both teams were retired in order in the first extra inning. The Bengals pushed a pair of runners to second and third with no outs in the top of the ninth, but ended the inning with a pair of pop outs and a strikeout.
- In the bottom of the inning, the Golden Knights used a sacrifice bunt to move the tie-breaker runner to third and then won the game with an RBI single to left field.
- Block suffered the loss, scattering 10 hits and giving up five earned runs while striking out five.
FOR THE FOES
- Ali Schwenzfeier was 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs for Clarkson.
- Jamie Bridge earned the win in the circle, allowing five hits and two runs in four innings of relief.
UP NEXT
Buffalo State will continue its Florida trip with a pair of games tomorrow against Buena Vista and Tufts at 9 and 11:30 a.m. respectively.