Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OHIO
Falcons Tie For Division Title
May 06, 2000 | Softball
May 6, 2000
ATHENS, Ohio - The Bowling Green softball team pounded out a season-high 16 hits en route to an 8-6 win at Ohio University Saturday (May 6). The game, the second half of a Mid-American Conference doubleheader, was held at the Ohio Softball Field.
The win gave the Falcons (28-16 overall, 13-7 MAC) a share of the MAC's East Division title, the first league crown for the Brown and Orange since 1993. Marshall, after a pair of 1-0 wins over Miami Saturday, also finished at 13-7 in league action to tie the Falcons at the top of the division. Bowling Green, however, earns the tiebreaker by virtue of taking two of three games vs. the Thundering Herd.
BGSU has earned the second seed for the MAC Tournament and will open tourney play on Thursday afternoon (May 11). The Falcons will play the winner of the Thursday morning game between third-seeded Central Michigan and #6 Ball State. The complete MAC Tournament schedule can be found below.
In Saturday's nightcap, the Falcons hit early and often against OU starter Christy Connolly, but BG could parlay seven hits into only two runs in the first two innings. The visitors had four first-inning hits, but scored just once as all three outs came at third base.
In that first inning, junior Nikki Rouhana, freshman Kandice Machain and senior Erin Zwinck hit back-to-back-to-back singles to begin the game, with Zwinck's sharp hit up the middle scoring Rouhana.
Machain kept the score at 1-0 in the bottom of the first, throwing out OU's Tiffany Bolton at the plate from her centerfielder's spot. Bolton was injured on the play as she tried to avoid the tag of BG catcher Colleen Bates, and had to leave the game.
In the second inning, junior Angie Domschot drove a two-out double to the base of the wall in centerfield, scoring freshman Libby Voshell and chasing Connolly.
The Bobcats (18-26, 10-11 MAC) tied the game in the bottom of the second off BG sophomore Jessie Milosek. The first run scored on a wild pitch, while the second scored on a two-out BGSU error. Five Falcon miscues led to three unearned OU runs in the game.
The Falcons broke the tie with four runs in the fifth. Angie Domschot led off with her second double of the game, and Zwinck's bloop hit was misplayed into a double by the Bobcat leftfielder as Domschot scored. After a wild pitch by Ohio's Heather Hagen, sophomore Renee Rosemeier hit her second double of the game into the left-field corner.
The next batter, junior Jen Domschot, hit BG's fourth extra-base hit of the inning, a ball which landed in the trees beyond the right-field fence. The homer was her fifth of the season, tying the BGSU school record.
The Bobcats would not go away, however, narrowing the margin to 6-5 in the bottom of the inning. OU scored the three runs via two hits and two more Falcon errors.
The Brown and Orange scored two important runs in the top of the seventh to take a three-run lead. A bases-loaded sacrifice fly by junior Lynsey Ebel scored senior Carmen Hitterdal, and a Bates infield single with two outs scored pinch-runner Morgan LaNicca from second base.
In the bottom of the seventh, OU's Crystal Turner hit a two-out solo homer, but the Bobcats would draw no closer.
All nine Falcon starters had at least one hit, with Zwinck and Rosemeier both going 3-for-4 at the plate. BG outhit OU, 16-5, and had more extra-base hits (six) than the 'Cats had hits.
Angie Domschot, Jen Domschot and Bates all had two hits, and Zwinck and Jen Domschot each drove in a pair of runs.
Milosek earned the win with a complete-game effort. She surrendered five hits and three earned runs in improving to 10-4 on the year.
For OU, Hagen suffered the loss. After baffling the Falcons with a complete-game three-hitter on Friday, Hagen gave up nine hits and six runs in five-and-a-third innings of work Saturday.
The Falcons will complete the regular season with a home doubleheader against Cleveland State Monday (May 8). First pitch is scheduled for noon at the BGSU Softball Field. BGSU then will head to DeKalb, Ill., for the double-elimination MAC Tournament. The complete league tourney schedule follows.
MAC Tournament Schedule
May 11-13 in DeKalb, Ill. - Mary M. Bell Field
Thursday, May 11Game 1: #3 Central Michigan vs. #6 Ball State, 10:00 a.m. Game 2: #4 Marshall vs. #5 Akron, 12:30 p.m. Game 3: #2 BOWLING GREEN vs. Game 1 Winner, 3:00 p.m. Game 4: #1 Northern Illinois vs. Game 2 Winner, 5:30 p.m.Friday, May 12
Game 5: Game 2 Loser vs. Game 3 Loser, 10:00 a.m. Game 6: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser, 12:30 p.m. Game 7: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 3:00 p.m. Game 8: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 5:30 p.m.Saturday, May 13
Game 9: Game 7 Loser vs. Game 8 Winner, 11:00 a.m.
Game 10: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, 1:30 p.m.
Game 11: Game 10 participants (if necessary), 30 minutes after completion
of Game 10
all times listed are Central Daylight Times
