UB Softball and Baseball play close agains Toledo, WMU, but only go 1-2

Low-scoring games have been relatively few and far-between this season for UB Softball. Low-scoring wins have been even rarer.

But other, more recent trends for this team also came into play this afternoon in Buffalo's doubleheader against at Toledo. Bobbi Langlois has found her stride from the pitching circle lately, and the team as a whole has been at their best in doubleheaders.

The story in both games - a 2-1 Bulls win to open the afternoon, and a 4-3 loss to close it - was Langlois' pitching, the defense behind her, and the bottom of the seventh.

In the first, Langlois went the distance, holding the Rockets to a single run despite eight hits from the hosts and three further runners advanced by UB errors. UB's defense, though, held strong to strand eight Toledo baserunners, and got one of the biggest plays possible in the bottom of the seventh when Toledo had runners on second and third with no down just one before Lauren Gambone snagged a line drive and turned an unassisted double play.

In the second, UB's advantage was one better at 3-1, but Toledo once again put a pair of runners on in the seventh. This time, the Rockets got a two-out triple to tie the game and force extras. In the eighth, UB advanced the automatic runner to third with just one out, but ended the inning with consecutive strikeouts, while Toledo used consecutive sacrifice bunts to win the game.

On the day, Langlois was just one out away from a pair of wins, but considering how this team has improved over the season, it's still an impressive showing. Even compared to recent doubleheaders against Canisius and Western Michigan, it's a clear improvement.

Offensively, Alexis Curtiss had a double in each game, a home run in the second, and three of UB's five runs on the day. Karly Nevez was 3-3 in the first game with a run.

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On the baseball diamond, UB jumped out to an early lead thanks to a Nick Sinay home run in the third, but ultimately lost 4-2 thanks to one Bronco rally midway through the game.

After Sinay's homer, Buffalo couldn't score despite loading the bases with no outs after consecutive strikeouts from Vinny Mallaro and Chris Kwitzer. All of WMU's runs also came in a single inning, the fifth, when the Broncos started the inning with two singles, two walks, and a double, and scored an additional run on an error.

Brent Cleland took the loss for the Bulls despite giving up only five hits and striking out six. Ben Haefner and Ben Vey each had two hits for the Bulls, who left a whopping 11 runners on base.

Baseball will continue their series with Western Michigan tomorrow, while Softball's pair of further games this weekend will come against Bowling Green.