Falcons Jump on Top Early, Dispatch RMU to Improve to 5-0

Sunday, February 11

Cleveland, OH

1:30 PM ET

Bowling Green State University

5-0

Robert Morris

0-4

Bowling Green

Robert Morris

Aspen Searle v Akron - Apr 28 2017 - Christine Nelson photo

Aspen Searle's four hits included a 2-run homer in the top of the first inning

Photo by: Christine Nelson, BGSU Marketing & Communications

February 11, 2018 | Softball

Box Score

Miller, Searle headline a long list of key performers as BG remains unbeaten

By: CLEVELAND, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Meredith Miller threw her third complete-game low-hitter in as many days, and Aspen Searle helped set the tone early as the Bowling Green State University softball team rolled to an 8-1 win over Robert Morris University Sunday afternoon (Feb. 11), BGSU's final contest in the CSU Dome Invitational, was held under the Krenzler Dome.

With the win, the Falcons improve to 5-0 on the season. The 5-0 start is the program's best in 12 seasons.

Miller allowed just two hits and no earned runs in the win. One day after striking out a career-high 11 batters, the junior set a new personal best with 13 K's against the Colonials.

Searle, a senior, went 4-for-4 at the plate, her second four-hit game of the young season. Her first-inning home run gave BG a 3-0 lead just three batters into the game, and the Falcons were on their way to another victory.

LINKS
BGSU-RMU STATISTICS: PDF
2018 Schedule | 2018 Record Book

FOUR THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

The Falcons' 5-0 start is BGSU's best since 2006. That '06 club won a school-record six games at the start of the season, and went on to finish 37-23, tying the BG single-season record for wins.
Junior Meredith Miller had three complete games where she allowed three or fewer hits last year. This season, she has three in three days. Miller threw a one-hit shutout vs. Niagara on Friday, then fired a three-hit shutout against Canisius on Saturday, striking out a career-high 11 strikeouts. On Sunday, Miller broke that one-day-old record, with 13 strikeouts vs. RMU. She has allowed just six hits in 20 innings of work, and opponents are hitting just .095 against her.
Fifth-year senior Aspen Searle entered the season with one career four-hit game. This year, she has gone 4-for-4 twice in five games. Searle is hitting an eye-popping .647, with 11 hits in 17 at-bats, and she has scored 10 runs. She leads the Falcons in batting average, runs, hits, slugging percentage (1.059) and on-base pt. (.700).
BGSU outscored opponents, 34-4, in the five games in Cleveland. The Falcons have scored those 34 runs while striking out just 19 times.

QUOTING COACH WILLIS
"The offense attacked early in the game, which was the approach we were looking for. We wanted to stay aggressive at the plate and it paid off. (Meredith) Miller had a lot of support from the lineup, and she did a fantastic job setting up the Robert Morris hitters today."

BGSU-ROBERT MORRIS – HOW IT HAPPENED

Three batters into Sunday's game, the Falcons had a three-run lead. Junior Alex Sorgi began the game by working RMU starting pitcher Laura Coulter for a walk. Sorgi promptly stole second base, then trotted home when freshman Sammy Dees roped a double down the left-field line. Senior Aspen Searle followed by clubbing a two-run home run, giving the Falcons a 3-0 lead.
The Falcons actually got two more hits in that first frame, as junior Kaylee Parker doubled and freshman Nikki Sorgi was safe on an infield single, but the Colonials got out of the inning without giving up any additional runs.
BG threatened, but did not score, in the second inning. Dees and Searle each were hit by a pitch with two down, but a popup ended the threat.
In the third, Kaylee Parker, Nikki Sorgi and freshman Sarah Gonzalez each singled to load the bases with one out, and senior Laine Simmons walked to force home Kaylee Parker with the Falcons' fourth run. Lacee Collins entered the game in relief for RMU, and sophomore Kendyl Wheeler greeted her with a liner to the left side. But, the scorcher was caught by the third baseman, and Nikki Sorgi was doubled up on the play. A strikeout ended the inning.
In the top of the fifth, the Falcons scored again, this time manufacturing a run after the first two hitters were retired. Simmons singled and continued on to second on a throwing error. She took third on a wild pitch, and after Wheeler walked to put runners at the corners, Alex Sorgi singled to score Simmons. Wheeler continued on to third on another error, but Collins got Dees to hit a fly ball to center for the third out.
Meanwhile, Miller was perfect through four innings. She struck out seven batters during that time, including five-straight Colonials from the last out of the first inning to the first out of the third.
Abrielle McCartney broke up the perfect game and the no-hit bid with a leadoff double in the fifth. Then, she tagged and took third on a fly ball to right, and scored on a throwing error. But, the unearned run was all the scoring RMU would muster.
Searle led off the sixth inning with a single, and took second on a failed pickoff attempt. Junior Kali Holcomb singled to send Searle to third, and the senior scored on a ground ball by Kaylee Parker. BG would load the bases on walks to Nikki Sorgi and Simmons, but would leave three runners on base.
In the seventh, Dees crushed a one-out offering to left for her second home run in as many games, and the next three batters all singled. Searle, Holcomb and Kaylee Parker all had hits, with Parker's base knock scoring Searle with the Falcons' eighth run.
In the bottom of the seventh, Miller struck out the first batter before allowing a single to McCartney, just the second RMU hit of the day. She responded by getting the next two batters to swing and miss, striking out the side for the second time in the game. The last strikeout gave Miller her third complete-game victory of the season.

BGSU-RMU LEADERS

BG had no fewer than 16 hits in the win, with Searle recording her second four-hit game of the young season. The senior was 4-for-4 with a homer, a hit-by-pitch, three runs scored and two RBI.
Kaylee Parker was 3-for-5, scoring a run and driving in two. Parker had a double among her three hits.
Dees, Holcomb and Nikki Sorgi all had two-hit games. Dees doubled and homered, scoring two runs and driving in a pair. She also was hit by a pitch.
Alex Sorgi was 1-for-4 with a walk, a run, an RBI and a stolen base. Simmons went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, a run and one RBI.
In the circle, Miller had her third-straight dominant performance. She allowed her first run of the season – an unearned run – and surrendered just two hits. Miller set a career best in strikeouts for the second-straight day, recording 13 strikeouts without walking a batter.
Coulter and Collins each allowed four runs for RMU. Coulter surrendered seven hits and walked two batters in two innings of work, while Collins gave up nine hits in four innings, walking three and striking out two. Two of the four runs Collins allowed were unearned.
McCartney had her team's only two hits and scored RMU's lone run.

DOME SWEET DOME

BGSU was participating in the CSU Dome Tournament for the fifth consecutive year, and the Falcons have an overall record of 13-8 in that time.
BG has won 10-straight games in the tourney. The Falcons won the last game in the CSU Dome Invitational in 2016 before going a perfect 4-0 in Cleveland on last season's opening weekend and posting a 5-0 mark this year.

CSU DOME TOURNAMENT
Friday, Feb. 9
Niagara 10, Cleveland State 4
BGSU 4, Niagara 0
BGSU 10, Cleveland State 3

Saturday, Feb. 10
Niagara 3, Robert Morris 0
Cleveland State 9, Robert Morris 8
BGSU 4, Niagara 0
BGSU 8, Canisius 0 (6 innings)
Cleveland State 6, Canisius 3

Sunday, Feb. 11
Canisius 4, Robert Morris 3
BGSU 8, Robert Morris 1
Cleveland State 2, Canisius 1

UP NEXT

The Falcons now will prepare for next weekend's trip to Elon, N.C., for the Elon Softball Classic (Feb. 16-18). BGSU will face the host school twice, and also will meet North Texas, Rhode Island and Mount St. Mary's.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS

For more information on all things BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball), Instagram (@bgsu_softball) and Snapchat (BGSU Falcons) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.