Buffalo Softball drops series opener to Kent State

UB Softball has a real chance to finish the season strong and hit well above its weight in the MAC standings, and the next two series, against Kent State and Ohio provide an opportunity to really leapfrog their division rivals.

Unfortunately, the opener against the Golden Flashes today went against the Bulls late, with Kent State cleanup hitter Holly Speers hitting a walk-off double to ruin Charlotte Miller's strong 6.2-inning outing and take the win, 3-2.

On the low-scoring day, Kent State got just a few more baserunners and a few more gifts from UB than they handed out. Both teams had seven hits, but Buffalo committed two errors and walked three while drawing no free passes themselves.

UB entered the seventh despite that disparity with a 2-1 lead thanks to Katie Weimer's third-inning double that scored Savanna Norcio and Leandra Jew. Kent State's only run until the final frame came on a solo homer from Katie Grimm in the fifth.

Aside from the score, the biggest news of the day was Weimer's pair of RBI, which bring her to 42 on the season, just one short of the UB single-season record, held by UB Athletics Hall of Famer Breanne Nasti. Those numbers are no doubt helped by the very strong years from Norcio (.393 batting average, .493 on-base percentage), Ashton Earnhardt (.415 OBP), and Leandra Jew (.395 OBP), but Weimer's still got to hit the ball to bring everyone in.

In addition to Nasti's mark, Weimer is already tied for third in the UB books in single-season home runs, while Norcio is sitting fourth in single-season batting average, doubles, and walks, just three free passes away from matching the record she shares with Nasti for a second straight season.

UB will see Kent twice tomorrow afternoon to wrap up the series.