KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Mackenzie Swinehart's walk-off home run earned the Western Michigan softball team a doubleheader split with Buffalo on Saturday afternoon at Ebert Field.
The visiting Bulls took the first game, 13-6, behind seven RBI from Anna Aguon and a complete game by Alexis Lucyshyn.
Kaylen Glenfield had three hits and
Sydney Stefanick drove in a pair of runs in the effort for WMU.
Game two was a 4-3 Bronco victory in eight innings, as Stefanick went the distance allowing three earned runs in eight innings of work, striking out six.
Alyssa Kramer hit a two-run homer in addition to
Mackenzie Swinehart's game-winner.
| Game One
Buffalo used an offensive explosion to take the first game of the day. The Bulls scored at least a run in six of seven innings, including a five-run seventh to put the game away.
UB leadoff hitter Anna Aguon was 2-for-5 with seven RBI, including two home runs. Starting pitcher Alexis Lucyshyn was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, while also going the distance to pick up the victory. She allowed five earned runs and 10 hits over seven innings of work.
Kaylen Glenfield was 3-for-2 with an RBI, while
Sydney Stefanick went 1-for-4 with two RBI. Glenfield, Stefanick and
Mackenzie Swinehart each doubled in the effort.
| Game Two
WMU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Glenfield and Stefanick hit consecutive one-out singles before Stefanick took second on a delayed steal, allowing Glenfield to score. Buffalo struck back in the third, taking the lead on an RBI double from Aguon and RBI single by Rachel Steffan.
Both pitchers settled in, and neither team scored in the fourth, fifth or sixth innings.
Buffalo added an insurance run in the seventh when Rachel Steffan hit a sac fly to center with the bases loaded and one out to make it 3-1. Stefanick induced a come-backer to end the inning.
The insurance run proved pivotal, as in the bottom half
Alyssa Kramer drilled a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right-center to tie the game and send it to extras.
After Stefanick shut down the Bulls in the top of the eighth,
Mackenzie Swinehart drilled the first pitch of the bottom half of the inning over the wall in right to win the game.
| On Deck
WMU will look to win the four-game series on Sunday, April 4, when the teams meet at Noon.
