The Buffalo State softball team was anxious to get the season underway. To say that they have had an inconsistent start to the season would be an understatement. Not only has the play of the team been inconsistent, but the rescheduling of games due to inclement weather has thrown the team a curveball as well.

The season started down south in Virginia where the weather wasn’t an issue. They played four games in the Virginia Wesleyan Beach Blast. The team started slow, losing their first two games while being outscored 19-1. They didn’t allow it to discourage them; they bounced back to win the last two games in Virginia before going further south to Clermont, Florida for Spring Break.

While in Clermont, the inconsistent play continued. The Bengals started out hot, going 5-2 to start their trip. They posted game scores of 19, 15 and 12 in three different ballgames during that stretch. They, they hit a wall, struggling the rest of the trip and going 2-4.

The Bengals took headed back to Buffalo anxious to get SUNYAC play underway. They returned from the southern sun to cold, snowy Western New York weather. Games set for April 1 and 2 were postponed due to snow. An April 5 game was pushed back to April 26.

The team has not played a game since March 27 and doesn’t have another scheduled game until April 8. Time will tell if this long layoff takes a toll on the team as they start SUNYAC play. The last thing they want is to get off to another slow start.

So far, this still-young season has been one of ups and downs. The team went 2-2 in Virginia and 6-6 and Florida. In 16 games this season, they are scoring 6.31 runs per game while allowing 6.43 runs per game.

The offense is good enough to win games, but the pitching is still in question. There have been instances in games in which the pitching has been dominant. They’ve held teams to two or fewer runs in four games this year, including one shutout. On the other end of the spectrum, there are performances where the pitching implodes and allows 18, 13 and 10 runs.

Like the pitching, the offense has to be consistent. There have been games where the offense struggles to score and then there have been big outbursts of 19, 15 and 12 run games. The lineup has its fair share of productive hitters; the big bats of Sarah Gorski, Jean Stahl, Chrissy Rennard, Laura Crooks and Stephanie Novo makes up the bulk of the offense.

Chrissy Rennard has been on a tear, posting a .468 batting average with 22 hits and 15 RBI’s. Jean Stahl started off slow, going just 2 for her first 12, but has gone 12 for her last 17 to boost her average up to .483. Stephanie Novo is always a threat at the plate, batting .403 with 25 hits, a homerun and 10 RBI’s. Sarah Gorski is another reliable bat in the middle of that lineup, posting a .408 batting average with 20 hits and 15 RBI’s. Laura Crooks has had a nice start to the season with her .345 average, 20 hits and 7 RBI’s.

Time will tell if this team will get solid pitching to supplement the outstanding hitting. Right now, they are playing like an average team with an 8-8 record. The upcoming SUNYAC games will tell if they’re true contenders or not.

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