Recapping events from Monday, April 28 - Sunday, May 4

SOFTBALL (25-15, 14-6) - Bengals Fall from SUNYAC Playoffs

Buffalo State opened the week with a sweep at Fredonia to wrap up the regular season, but could not ride that momentum into the playoffs as it was bounced by Cortland and Geneseo.

The Bengals visited Fredonia on Monday, and took the opener by an 8-3 score. Buffalo State jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings and cruised to the victory. Tracy Urban (Lancaster/Lancaster) led the Bengals' offense, hitting 2-for-4 with a three-run homerun, and Tiffany Ciolek (Great Valley/Salamanca) went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Alyssa Brosius (N. Tonawanda/N. Tonawanda) was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, and Nicole Willats (Tonawanda/Sweet Home) was also 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Elizabeth Beiter (N. Tonawanda/N. Tonawanda) earned the win on the mound, allowing three unearned runs on four hits.

Fredonia scored first in the nightcap, but Buffalo State rallied to complete the sweep, 5-1. Willats for 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Heidi Rammacher (Angola/Lakeshore) and Alicia Girard (Glens Falls/Glens Falls) both went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Melissa Balsavage (Depew/Depew) scattered five hits for the win.

The Bengals opened up the double-elimination postseason tournament at Geneseo as the fifth seed, drawing second-seeded Cortland on Thursday. The Bengals took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Red Dragons rebounded with two runs in the second to tie the score. The teams traded runs, but were knotted at 5-5 after seven innings. In the first extra frame, Cortland ended the game with a leadoff walk-off homerun to claim a 6-5 win. Stephanie Menth (Tonawanda/Tonawanda) was 2-for-4 at the plate with a run and an RBI. Janelle Mahl (Niagara Falls/Niagara Wheatfield) hit 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Brosius and Lindsey Matheis (Hamburg/Williamsville South) both went 1-for-2. Beiter pitched four innings allowing five runs, and Balsavage took the loss alowing one run in three innings of relief.

Buffalo State faced host Geneseo on Saturday in a must win situation, but came out flat and fell by an 8-0 margin in five innings. The Knights scored eight runs on 12 hits, including three runs in the top of the first inning. Lindsey Matheis and Girard registered the Bengals only hits of the game.

Buffalo State closed out the season with a 25-15 record, marking the school's 10th 20-win season in the past 13 years.

LACROSSE (5-9) - Bengals Complete Season With Two Non-conference Games

Buffalo State hosted two games last week in closing out its 2003 campaign.

On Monday, the Medaille Mavericks came to Coyer Field, and were defeated by the Bengals, 16-2. Nadya Chomiak (Elma/Iroquois) led the way for the Bengals, netting five goals, while this season's leading point scorer, Stefanie Hineman (Lancaster/Lancaster) added six points on three goals and three assists. Elvira Conigilone (Oceanside/Oceanside) chipped in five points, on four goals and one assist, and freshman Chelsey Frail (Hilton/East Rochester) added one goal and two assists. Goaltenders Nikole Flannery (Tonawanda/Tonawanda) and Carolyn Totaro (Rome/Rome Free Academy) each played one half, and combined for eight saves in the victory.

On Tuesday the Saxons of Alfred University came to Buffalo State and handed the Bengals their ninth loss of the season, 8-5. Hineman and Conigilone tallied all of the goals for the Bengals, recording three and two respectively in the loss.

The 2003 season was one of growth and record setting for the Bengals. First-year Head Coach Meg led Buffalo State to its best season since the programs inception in 1996, as the Bengals went 5-9 overall, and 3-5 in SUNYAC play, setting records for the best season winning percentage, .357, most goals scored, 125, and fewest goals against average, 10.64.

TRACK & FIELD - Runners Compete at NYSCTC Championships

Several members of the Bengals track and field team ran in the New York State Collegiate Track Conference Championships on Saturday at St. Lawrence, with the women finishing 10th of 15 teams, and the men taking 12th of 14.

On the women's side, Celestine Coney (Lyons/Lyons) captured first place in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 62.86. Desiree Gibson (Rochester/Edison Tech) took second in the 200-meter dash in 26.21, and also placed third in the 100-meter dash crossing the finish line in 13.03. Linda Williams (Rochester/Edison Tech) earned fourth place in the 100-meter dash finishing in 13.04. Williams, Coney, Gibson and Autumn Hensel (Akron/Akron) also combined to set a new school record time of 49.08 in the 4x100-meter relay, good for second place.

On the men's side, Eugene Overton (Syracuse/Corcoran) captured eighth spot in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.71, and Patrick Tindal (Rochester/Edison Tech) took seventh spot in the 400-meter hurdles finishing with a time of 57.75