Season Recap

A couple of powerful bats and strong arms gave the Buffalo Breskis firepower during the first IWPSA season. The Breskis depended upon the home run power of Mary Ann Cardillo, the IWPSA home run champion with 15, the pitching of Helen Nikiel, one of five pitchers to win 30 or more games this season, and Judy Jungwirth and the hitting of Cindy Breski, Kathy Fraser and Val Strachan to stay in playoff contention from the first weeks of the season.

Buffalo took second place on July 7 and held it until August 11, using a 16-12 spurt to hold off Chicago. The Breskis and Ravens were deadlocked for second going into the final weekend of the season. The Breskis finished third in the Eastern Division with a 56-64 record, 1 game behind second place Chicago.

Cardillo and Breski, both members of the East All-Star unit, combined to give Buffalo two dangerous bats in the middle of the lineup and Nikiel won 22 of 32 decisions through one stretch.

Buffalo also boated one of the top IWPSA followings, including a 4,770 crowd for the first IPWSA game that saw Connecticut stop Buffalo 1-0 behind Joan Joyce on May 28. The Breskis averaged over 1,400 fans, second only to San Jose among IWPSA teams.

In leftfielder Cardillo and first basewoman Breski, Buffalo should have one of the outstanding one-two punches in women’s softball for many years.