UB Softball falls to Ohio State Sunday despite grand slam from Danielle Lallos

I think, given the season so far, nobody would be surprised if Ohio State scored too many runs on UB's Softball team this morning. The final tally in the Buckeyes' 15-6 win over the Bulls is high, but oh well. What is a pleasant surprise is UB's offensive output.

In their games so far this season, UB has generally either put up big numbers and held on, or been mostly shutout en route to a mercy rule-shortened loss. This morning, though, the Bulls managed to stay within striking distance (albeit far striking distance) of the Buckeyes until the final inning, impressively answering Ohio State's two big innings with production themselves.

All told UB racked up 11 hits and 15 total baserunners. You'd like more of those runners to come around to score, but the Bulls did do a better job of capitalizing on their chances today. The first Buffalo runner to advance to second base made it there in the fourth inning, and UB turned that rally into four runs thanks to a Danielle Lallos grand slam -- her second homer of the season. Even in that inning, the Bulls had a runner thrown out at the plate and stranded one, but four runs in a single shot is a pretty good deal.

In the sixth inning, UB would once again load the bases with two runs already in and just one out, but were unable to add any more to close what was then a 11-6 deficit. In the top of the seventh the Buckeyes would pile four more runs on UB's Madison Vaught to cushion their lead. All told nine of Ohio State's 15 runs came in the final two innings; through five Buffalo trailed only 6-4.

Once again none of UB's three pitchers were particularly effective, though Charlotte Miller saw only one inning and Bobbi Langlois held Ohio State to zeros in three of her five frames. UB did add two more errors to their season total, but neither led to unearned runs.

Offensively, Lallos of course had a big day, adding another hit and another run to her grand slam, while Savanna Norcio and Hayley Barrow also added two hits a piece.

The Bulls are off this coming weekend and won't return to action until the end of the month, when they'll head to Macon, GA for another five-game weekend hosted by Mercer.

Go Bulls!