Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OHIO
Softball Stays Alive With Extra-Inning Win
May 11, 2001 | Softball
May 11, 2001
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Bowling Green State University offense, held largely in check for nine innings, exploded for five runs in the 10th inning en route to a 6-1 win over Ohio University. The game, an elimination contest in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, was held at the CMU Softball Field.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 35-18 on the season. More importantly, BGSU stays alive in the MAC Tournament. The Brown and Orange will play Ball State, a 2-0 winner over Kent State (nine innings) in Friday's second game. That game was scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., but may be delayed due to the length of Friday's first two contests.
The Falcons and Bobcats battled through six scoreless innings. OU starter Val Wood allowed just two BGSU hits during that stretch, while a pair of BG hurlers gave up six hits in that time.
BGSU finally broke through in the top of the seventh frame. Junior Renee Rosemeier beat out a grounder to shortstop for a leadoff single, and was erased on a fielder's choice by senior Angie Domschot. Senior Lynsey Ebel hit a liner that was grabbed by the Bobcat shortstop for the second out of the inning, but sophomore Libby Voshell came through.
Voshell, who drove in the Falcons' only run in Thursday's game vs. Northern Illinois, slammed a double to left-center, as Domschot came all the way around to score the first run of the game.
But, the Bobcats would answer in the bottom of the frame. After a seven-minute rain delay, Georgia Villard led off with a single to shortstop. Voshell went deep into the hole to grab the ball, but Villard beat the long throw to first.
The next batter, Lindsay Eirich, hit a slow roller to short for the first out, with pinch-runner Randi Rico advancing to second. Then, Sarah Melvin singled to centerfield, scoring Rico. Melvin, the potential winning run, took second on the BGSU throw home, and went to third when that throw sailed out of play. But, with the infield in, BG hurler Johnson induced Sara Kraus to hit a grounder to second baseman Angie Domschot. Domschot tagged Kraus, keeping an eye on Melvin, who was forced to hold third. Johnson then hooked up in a battle with Kelli Bankert. Bankert, the Bobcats' top hitter, fouled off six pitches before grounding out to Ebel at third.
Both teams had chances in extra innings. The Falcons put runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth, and senior Jen Domschot hit a grounder that ticked off Wood's glove. But, second baseman Tiffany Bolton grabbed the ball and tagged second just before the runner arrived.
In the bottom of the eighth, Bolton drew a leadoff walk against Johnson, but pinch-runner Shannon Pereira was thrown out trying to steal second. The Bobcats did not record a stolen base on the day, as BG catcher Holly Frantz gunned down three players at second. Johnson struck out two batters in the inning.
Ohio put a runner on second in the ninth, but Johnson induced Melvin to ground out to end the inning, before the Falcons exploded in the 10th.
That inning began when Frantz reached on an error. Then, senior Nikki Rouhana hit a hard single off the first baseman's glove, with Frantz advancing to third on the play. That brought sophomore Kandice Machain to the plate.
After Rouhana stole second base, Machain lined a pitch into rightfield for a two-run single that gave the Brown and Orange the lead for good. Machain took second on the play, when the OU rightfielder threw wildly in an attempt to get Rouhana at the plate.
Jen Domschot then drew a walk, her second of the game and school-record 32nd of the year, before Rosemeier singled to load the bases. Angie Domschot then lined a single to center to plate two more runs. Machain and Jen Domschot scored, and both Rosemeier and Angie Domschot each took an extra base on another Ohio error, the third of the inning.
Kristie Howe replaced Wood in the circle, and was greeted by Ebel's RBI single. She retired the next three batters to end the inning, but the damage had been done.
"You never know who is going to step up," said Ross-Shaw. "For the longest time a lot of kids -- that aren't the ones who get all the awards -- kind of sit back and let other people do the job. But, then they get tired of it when those people aren't coming through.
"I knew Holly (Frantz) would start it up. She was determined. Kandice Machain it the same way. When you put that pressure on her and say `You need to score this runner right now,' she'll do it. She'll find a way.
"It's kids that you normally don't see stepping up who won that game for us."
In the bottom of the 10th, Johnson gave up only a two-out walk to close the game.
BGSU outhit Ohio, 11-8, and the Falcons had nine of those hits over the last four innings. Machain, Rosemeier, Angie Domschot and Voshell each had a pair of hits, and Machain and Angie Domschot had two RBI apiece.
Johnson got the win with six innings of three-hit relief. She allowed one run, walked two and struck out four. The win was Johnson's ninth consecutive victory, and improved her record to 10-2 on the year.
Genter, the BGSU starter, allowed five hits over four scoreless innings. She issued one walk and fanned one batter.
Wood gave up 10 hits and six runs (five earned) in nine innings. She walked four and whiffed four, and fell to 16-5 on the season. Ohio ends the year with a 32-23 record.
With an RBI in the game, Ebel improved her season total to a school-record 40. Rosemeier has 39 on the season.
The Falcons are now 10-0 in extra-inning games during the Ross-Shaw head-coaching era, and BGSU has won 12 consecutive extra-inning games, dating to the final weekend of the 1996 season.
The Falcons have now posted a 16-1 record against MAC East Division foes this spring, and BGSU is 29-6 vs. teams from the East Division since the beginning of the 2000 conference season.
