CLERMONT, FL— Buffalo State played its third extra-inning game in a row and got two runs in the top of the eighth to defeat Buena Vista, 5-4 before falling to nationally-ranked Tufts, 11-3 in the second game on day two of its 12-game stay in Florida.
GAME #1 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Buffalo State – 5, Buena Vista 4 (8 inn.)
LOCATION: Hancock Park – Clermont, Florida
RECORDS: Buffalo State (2-5), Buena Vista (5-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Allie Block (N. Tonawanda/Starpoint) did it with her arm and her bat, throwing a complete-game with seven strikeouts and finishing 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and a run scored.
- Cassandra O'Hern (Augusta, NJ/High Point) went 2-for-4 at the dish with two runs scored.
- Danielle Szymkowiak (Cheektowaga/Cheektowaga) slugged a solo shot and Nicole Adams (Lockport/Starpoint) added two RBIs to round out the Bengal offense.
- Buena Vista got on the board first in the opening inning and added another in the third to take a 2-0 lead heading into the fourth.
- Szymkowiak homered to left in the top of the inning to get Buffalo State on the board, trailing 2-1.
- Adams doubled down the left field line to plate two runs in the top of the sixth to give the Bengals a 3-2 lead.
- The Beavers responded with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at three.
- Neither team could score in the seventh, forcing the game to extras.
- Szymkowiak hit a deep sac fly in the eighth, scoring Laura Crooks (Niagara Falls/Niagara Wheatfield) to give the Bengals a 4-3 lead.
- Block followed her up by tripling down the right field line, scoring O'Hern to make it 5-3, Buffalo State.
- Buena Vista put the pressure on in the bottom of the inning, loading up the bases with no outs.
- The Beavers hit a sac fly to make it 5-4, but on the play the Bengals gunned down a Beaver runner at the plate who was trying to score from second to put them one out away from the win.
- Block got the ensuing batter to pop out to first to seal the 5-4, extra-inning victory.
FOR THE FOES
- Marissa Schmidt led the way for the Beavers, finishing the game 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs.
GAME #2 BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Tufts – 11, Buffalo State - 3
LOCATION: Hancock Park – Clermont, Florida
RECORDS: Buffalo State (2-6), Tufts (2-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Julia Blujus (Amherst/Sacred Heart) led the Bengal attack, finishing the game 2-for-3 with a run scored.
- Tufts jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Buffalo State answered right back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.
- Block, Adams and Victoria Rigler (Amherst/Sweet Home) all drove in runs in the bottom half of the first.
- The wheels fell off for the Bengals in the second, as Tufts went on to score five runs in the inning and nine unanswered overall to collect the 11-3 victory after six innings.
FOR THE FOES
- Maggie Hoffman finished the game 4-for-4 with three RBIs and four runs scored.
- Raven Fournier hit a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
UP NEXT
Buffalo State will have an off day on Monday before taking on Wisconsin-Whitewater and Wesleyan in a doubleheader on Tuesday, with first pitch set for 9 a.m.