» Athletes of the Week George Fetchko of the men's track and field team won the shot put competition at the Cornell Outdoor Invitational. Mary Russell of the softball team hit .563 (9-for-16) with two home runs, including a grand slam, and 10 RBIs, as the Bulls went 5-1 for the week.

Baseball

St. Bonaventure 9, UB 4 (Big Four Classic)
Canisius 8, UB 5 (Big Four Classic)
Kent State 5, UB 3
Kent State 7, UB 1
Kent State 8, UB 4

UB dropped all five of its games last week, including a three-game sweep by Mid-American Conference East Division leader Kent State. The Bulls are now 13-32 overall and 6-14 in the MAC.

Despite outhitting St. Bonaventure, 12-9, the Bulls dropped a 9-4 decision to the Bonnies in the opening round of the Big Four Classic on April 29 in Olean. Rob Mancini had a pair of RBIs for the Bulls in the loss. Nick Walczak, Mancini, Chris Ciesla and Tony Fuller each had a pair of hits.

In the consolation game of the Big Four Classic, UB fell to Canisius, 8-5, on April 30. Mancini and Charlie Karstedt each drove in a pair of runs for the Bulls.

The Bulls traveled to Kent State for a three-game Mid-American

Conference series and lost the opening game, 5-3, on Friday. The Golden Flashes broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning with a lead-off solo home run by Jared Bartholomew. Ben Klafczynski followed with a double and later scored on a bunt single by Cory Hindel to give Kent State the 5-3 win.

Brian Randazzo, Walczak and Shivam Bhan each had a pair of hits for the Bulls. Ciesla, Mancini and Jacob Rosenbeck, who returned to the UB lineup after missing seven games due to injury, each drove in a run. UB starting pitcher Mike Stangroom went six solid innings, allowing three runs—just one of which was earned—while striking out three and walking none.

The Bulls dropped the second game of the series on Saturday afternoon, 7-1. Walczak had a pair of hits and Bhan drove in UB’s lone run with a fourth-inning single. The game included a 70-minute rain delay in the sixth inning.

Kent State completed the three-game sweep of the Bulls on Sunday, taking the final game of the series, 8-4. Randazzo, Rosenbeck and Karstedt each had a pair of hits. Ciesla drove in his team-leading 29th RBI with a first-inning sacrifice fly. Randazzo, Adam Skonieczki and Bobby Pizzuto also had RBIs, with Pizzutto’s coming on a pinch-hit double.

The Bulls will return to action this weekend when they travel to Bowling Green for their final road series in MAC play.

Softball

UB 13, Syracuse 5
UB 7, Syracuse 2
Eastern Michigan 4, UB 3
UB 6, Eastern Michigan 2
UB 3, Central Michigan 1
UB 7, Central Michigan 6

It was a very good week for UB as the Bulls went 5-1, sweeping a pair of doubleheaders and splitting the third. The Bulls won three of their last four MAC games and five of their last six to finish the 2008 season with a 10-32 record (5-13 MAC).

UB opened the week with a 13-5 and 7-2 sweep at Syracuse in a nonleague match-up on April 30. The Bulls had an outstanding day offensively, with three players batting over .600 on the day.

Senior outfielder Mary Russell led UB’s offensive attack, ending the day 6-for-7 with seven RBIs, six of which came on two home runs—a two-run homer and a grand slam. Russell’s grand slam was the first for a Bulls player since Breanne Nasti’s grand slam against Stony Brook in 2004. Russell also finished the two-game series with two stolen bases, a 1.714 slugging percentage and an .875 on base percentage.

Kristen Gallipani and Lindsey Hampton also had solid outings at the plate. Gallipani batted .750 (3-for-4) with a home run, four RBIs and two walks, while Hampton ended the day 5-for-8 (.625) with a double and a triple.

The Bulls split their MAC series with Eastern Michigan on Friday at Nan Harvey Field, taking the second game, 6-2, after suffering a 4-3 setback to the Eagles in the day’s opener.

Gallipani had an excellent day at the plate, finishing the series 3-for-5 (.600) with a stolen base. Alex Bejarano ended the day 3-for-6 (.500) with a double and one RBI, while Sharon Barr went 2-for-6 (.333) from the plate with one double and three RBIs. Barr collected her third win of the season on the mound in game two, throwing the complete game.

The Bulls swept the MAC season finale doubleheader with the Central Michigan Chippewas on Sunday. UB defeated the Chippewas, 3-1, in the day’s opener and won an exciting, come-from-behind, 7-6 thriller in the nightcap against a tough CMU team that entered the series at the top of the MAC West division. Sunday’s contest was a doubleheader after Saturday’s regularly scheduled single game was postponed due to rain.

Dana Carter had a great day at the plate. Her first career home run in the fifth inning—a towering two-run shot over the center-field fence—helped to secure the Bull’s 3-1 win in game one. Carter also put the ball in play to score the game-winning RBI in the Bulls’ come-from-behind victory in game two.

In that game, CMU scored two runs in the seventh to take a 6-4 lead. The Bulls responded with three in their half of the inning for the 7-6 win.

Russell drew a walk to lead off the inning and Katie Ivancich singled to push Russell to second. After inserting pinch runner Candice Sheehan for Ivancich, Bejarano put down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners. Lacy Schneider then hit a RBI single to left to score Russell, while Sheehan moved to third.

Jamie Sheffler was put into the game to pinch run for Schneider at first, and Ashley Kanavy drew a walk to load the bases. Carter then stepped to the plate and sent a ground ball to the shortstop, who threw the ball past the CMU catcher as

Sheehan scored, enabling Sheffler to tag home and give the Bulls the 7-6

victory.

Carter finished the day 4-for-6 (.667) from the plate with four RBIs. Russell also had an outstanding day at the plate, finishing her career 3-for-5 (.600) with a walk, a double and an RBI.

Tennis

WOMEN’S

Bulls to face UCLA in first round of NCAAs

UB will travel to UCLA for its first-round NCAA Tournament match tomorrow. Also playing in the UCLA regional will be Long Beach State and Denver.

The Bulls won their first MAC title on April 27 after coming from behind to defeat Western Michigan, 4-3, to earn the MAC’s automatic berth. The Bulls are 12-8 on the season.

The Bruins, champions of the Pac-10, are 18-5 on the season and ranked seventh in the nation.

The Bulls and Bruins will meet following the conclusion of the Long Beach State and Denver match. The winners of the two matches will meet on Saturday.

Track and Field

Bulls take 11 events at Cornell meet

UB posted strong results at the Cornell Outdoor Invitational Saturday. The UB men took home seven first-place finishes, while the women won four events. Two Bulls qualified for the USATF Junior Nationals this summer; two Bulls set two stadium records.

Brian Smith won the men’s 200-meters in 21.30. The time broke the UB school record of 21.44 set by Joe Clark in 2003 and tied by Ezekiel Porter earlier in the 2008 campaign. Smith’s time also was an NCAA regional and junior national-qualifying mark.

Porter, meanwhile, won the 400-meters in 47.86, establishing a new stadium record. He also was part of UB’s victorious 4x400-meter relay team that set a season-best time of 3:18.25.

The UB men also won a pair of distance events. In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Ryan Bloom took the race in 9:37.35, posting a season-best time and earning a junior national-qualifying time. Dan Giza won the men’s 1,500-meters in 3:58.03.

In the field, George Fetchko took the shot put with a throw of 54-10 (16.71m), establishing a season-best and a Kane Complex record. Alex Stamatakis won the men’s discus with a throw of 165-8 (50.49m).

The UB women set a pair of season-best times in their two wins on the track. Nicole Soblosky won the 3,000-meter run in 10:33.50. Allison Grimes took the 400-meters in 58.00, slicing .39 seconds from her previous best that had been posted two weeks ago at the UB Invitational.

Two Bulls won women’s field events. Caitlin Godin took the high jump at 5-5 (1.65m), while Tiffany Maskulinski won the women’s pole vault at11-11.75 (3.65m).

The Bulls will make their regular season finale on Saturday at the Campbell/Wright Open at the University of Akron. The MAC Championships will begin on May 15 in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Crew

Bulls finish second at ECAC Metro Cup

UB continued its string of strong performances on Sunday, finishing second at the 2008 ECAC Metro Cup Championships. The Bulls finished behind Bucknell University in the nine-team field.

UB’s varsity eight boat, which consisted of Sher Briggs, Tara Rudkoski, Bridget Yannes, Alana Sharpe, Brittany Aiello, Melina DiCosimo, Cathleen Streicher, Lauren Sexton and Kelsey Tretter finished in second place in the grand final after winning their heat earlier in the day. The Bulls won their heat by clocking in at 6:42.45, almost six seconds faster than Rhode Island. That put the Bulls in the final, where they finished second to Bucknell but improved on their time against the Bison. Bucknell came in first at 6:37.18, while the Bulls clocked in at 6:40.87.

UB’s second varsity eight boat finished in third place in the grand final. UB’s crew of Margaret Devendorf, Maggie Fairgrieve, Jessica Hughes, Morgan Witte, Sasha Bailey, Lindsay DiCosimo, Francisca Nwoke, Samantha Masucci and Ashley Hanhurst finished their heat in 6:56.52, more than four seconds ahead of Rhode Island. In the finals, UB finished in third place just three seconds behind second-place Massachusetts and just four seconds behind Bucknell, which won the race.

UB’s Varsity Four boat finished in fourth place in the grand final after a third-place finish in its heat. In the finals, the Bulls clocked in at 8:12.42, just two boats behind Bucknell and one boat from Rhode Island.

Also competing on the day was UB’s novice eight boat, which finished fifth in the grand final after a second-place finish in its heat. The Bulls finished just three seconds behind Rutgers in the heat, and despite finishing fifth in the finals, their 7:18.95 time was just a little more than 11 seconds behind Rhode Island, which won the race.

The Bulls will be back in action this weekend as they head to the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia.

Football

Hilaire drafted by CFL

Ronald Hilaire, a defensive lineman, was drafted by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. Hilaire, who will return for his senior season at UB in the fall, was selected in the fourth round (27th overall).

It marks the second straight season that a UB player has been drafted by a CFL team. James Judges was selected by the Montreal Alouettes in the 2007 draft and signed with the team in March.

Hilaire had a breakout season for the Bulls in 2007. He started 11 games at defensive tackle and recorded 45 tackles, including 20 solo efforts. He added four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Hilaire was the third Bull drafted by a professional football team after this season. Defensive end Trevor Scott was selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders, and center Jamey Richard was chosen in the seventh round by the Indianapolis Colts.