Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
MARSHALL
Houle Shuts Down Herd, 7-0
March 31, 2001 | Softball
March 31, 2001
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. - Sophomore McKenna Houle surrendered just four hits for the third consecutive game as the Bowling Green State University softball team recorded a 7-0 win over Marshall University. The contest, the second half of a Mid-American Conference doubleheader, was held at MU's Dot Hicks Field Saturday afternoon (March 31).
The win completed a sweep of the three-game series for the Falcons, who are now 15-10 overall and 5-0 in MAC play. BGSU's 5-0 league start ties the best start in school history. The 1988 team also began MAC play at 5-0, en route to a 24-8 conference mark and a MAC title.
Marshall drops to 19-16 overall and 2-5 in MAC play. The Falcons and Herd tied for the MAC's East Division title with identical 13-7 records a year ago.
Houle and MU starter Sara Gulla combined to put zeroes on the scoreboard for the first four innings. During that time, Marshall could manage just two hits, while BG's only safety was a fourth-inning single by sophomore Kandice Machain.
In the fifth, the Falcons broke through. Senior Lynsey Ebel led off the inning with a single, and a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Libby Voshell advanced Ebel to second. Redshirt freshman Liz Tuza was inserted as a pinch-runner for Ebel. Sophomore Crystal Wilson came to the plate and blooped a single into shallow centerfield. MU's Nikki Wilcox fielded the ball, but in her attempt to cut down Tuza at third, she threw wide and the ball sailed into the BG dugout. Tuza scored on the play, while Wilson advanced all the way to third.
Then, senior Nikki Rouhana belted a triple off the wall in right-center to score Wilson and double the lead.
BGSU broke the game wide open in the next inning. Senior Jen Domschot drew a walk to lead off the inning, and took second on a single by junior Renee Rosemeier. Then, senior Angie Domschot reached on a bunt single to load the bases with no outs as Ebel stepped to the plate.
The BG senior singled down the left-field line to score two runs and double the Falcon lead once again. Gulla retired the next two batters, but junior Holly Frantz walked to load the bases for another senior, Rouhana. Rouhana, who had tripled the previous inning, doubled to clear the bases as Angie Domschot, Ebel and Frantz all crossed the plate.
From there, Houle kept the Herd off the scoreboard to earn her second complete-game shutout of the year.
Houle won for the fifth consecutive game, and improved to 6-4 on the season. She did not walk a batter while striking out four.
For the Herd, Gulla took the loss to fall to 11-9. She allowed seven runs, all earned, on eight hits. Gulla walked three batters and fanned five in her six innings. Ksandra Sims pitched a scoreless seventh, allowing one hit and striking out two.
The win gives the Falcons a 13-1 lead in the all-time series with the Thundering Herd, and BG has won nine of the 10 games played in Huntington.
The Falcons have won seven consecutive games. BGSU outscored Marshall by a 21-3 count in the three-game series, and the Brown and Orange has outscored MAC foes, 37-5, in the five league games.
BGSU will step outside of league play for a Wednesday (April 4) game vs. the University of Michigan. Start time is 3:00 p.m. at the BGSU Softball Field. Then, the Falcons head north for a three-game weekend (April 6-7) series vs. defending MAC champion Central Michigan University.
