Senior Salutes: Softball bids farewell to winningest senior class ever

I messed up this weekend, and instead of having Senior Salutes posts up the morning of Senior Day, I don't. Still, we're exceedingly grateful for the hard work and dedication the seniors of both UB Softball and Baseball over the last four years, and will do our usual thing.

For now, here's Softball, who ended their season with a 5-0 win over Western Michigan this afternoon and finish as the winningest senior class in program history. I'll have the Baseball post up tomorrow.

Karly Nevez -- OF -- Edmund, OK

Senior Year: Hitting from the middle of the order, Nevez couldn't quite match last year's output, but still put together a .250 batting average while playing in 47 games. Most impressively, Karly struck out only six times in 116 at bats. In the field she committed only two errors.

Before UB: Nevez was a three-year captain at Edmond Santa Fe High School who earned conference and regional accolades before coming to UB.

Career in Buffalo: Karly's been a regular in the starting lineup from Day 1 at UB and has appeared in 180 games in her career, tied with Alexis Curtiss for most in this class. She's never been much of a power hitter, but does leave UB with an OBP above .300 thanks to a standout junior season and just 19 strikeouts in her final two seasons.

Senior Moment: In a 2-1 win over Toledo just ten days ago, Nevez did more than anyone else on either side to make something happen offensively. She had three of UB's eight hits, advanced into scoring position after two of those hits, and would score the winning run with two outs in the fifth inning.

Alexis Curtiss -- C/3B -- San Diego, CA

Senior Year: In the post-Speckman, Gallardo, and Luciano era, Curtiss has been the driver for UB, filling the shoes of those before her with a few records of her own. In particular, the catcher is a doubles machine, hitting 22 along with eight other extra-base hits for at .696 slugging percentage this season, all on top of a .429 average. There's not really a whole lot more to say. In today's game she moved into first place all-time at UB in career hits. She was already #1 in career doubles.

Before UB: Curtiss was a star at the state level in both softball and field hockey at University City High School in San Diego, where she was named to the CIF First Team (all-state) in both sports. As a sophomore and senior, though, she was named Division III Player of the Year in California.

Buffalo Career: Like Nevez, Curtiss has always been good at UB, playing in 180 games in her career and racking up a .358 career average. She's hit 14 home runs in her career, but as I said above, it's always been about the doubles. Fully 10% of her career at bats finished with her on second base, and in her stellar senior season, that number rose to 13%.

Senior Moment: Has to be today, when with her lone hit Curtiss established a new UB record for hits in a career, with 198.

Stephanie Beuther -- OF -- Chandler, AZ

Senior Stats: Stephanie has been mostly a role player this year, with just eight hits on the season, but she has appeared in some fashion in 31 of UB's 50 games.

Before UB: Playing at Hamilton High School in Arizona, Beuther was named Second Team All-Region thrice while hitting well over .400 in her prep career. Before playing two seasons at Buffalo she saw action in 64 games over two years and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

Buffalo Career: Stephanie only had one hit in 14 at bats in her junior season, so this year has made up the bulk of her UB experience.

Senior Moment: In a 9-8 loss to Mercer back on February 28th, Stephanie was 2-3 with her first career run and did not commit any of Buffalo's seven errors. This afternoon in her final game with Buffalo she was 1-2 with a double.

Nora McGuire -- 1B -- Downers Grove, IL

Senior Stats: Nora appeared in 16 games this season, hitting .127, though with an OBP of .222. She's also made only one error in the field.

Before UB: McGuire holds the single-season home run record at Benet Academy and led that team to a third-place finish in Illinois as a senior.

Career in Buffalo: Nora's appeared in just 52 games across all four years in Amherst, but she did get her first extra-base hit this season.

Senior Moment: In Saturday's 8-5 loss to Western Michigan, McGuire was 1-3 with a run and a double - the first of her career. The run was UB's first of the game and kicked off a five-run rally.

Hayley Barrow -- P/IF -- Miami, FL

Senior Stats: Barrow has done a little of everything this season for the Bulls, hitting .301 with 14 doubles and seven home runs while also starting 11 games in the circle as UB struggled to find pitching consistency on the year.

Before UB: Barrow starred in the Miami area in high school, as she was named to the All-Dade County First team and earned All-State recognition multiple times in her career. She only came to Buffalo in her junior season after two years at Central Florida, where she was named to the Conference-USA All Freshmen Team and started 71 games in two seasons.

Buffalo Career: Barrow has played in all but three possible games in her Buffalo career, but her two seasons are rather different. As a junior, Hayley hit .300 with 20 walks and few extra base hits, while this year she's flashed more power, hitting .301 with 21 extra-base hits, fewer walks and more strikeouts. In the other half of the inning, Hayley stepped up from just a few appearances as a junior to one of UB's three main pitchers this season, pitching in 18 games and delivering the highest strikeout rate of the trio.

Senior Moment(s): You can't pick just one, and happily you don't need to feel too guilty about it, since they both came in the final weekend of the season. Friday in the second game of the double header against NIU, Barrow ended the game herself with a walk-off home run in the eighth inning. This afternoon, in her last game ever, she delivered one of the best pitching performances of the year, allowing just four hits and no runs while striking out six in a complete game win.

***

As I mentioned above, Karly, Alexis, Stephanie, Nora, and Hayley are the winningest senior class in school history. Whether they were here for four years or just two, record-setters or not, we're sad to see them go but happy to wish them well in the future.

Go Bulls