Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Kent State
Machain Homers Three Times, But Flashes Take Twinbill
March 30, 2002 | Softball
March 30, 2002
Despite an impressive display of offensive prowess at the plate by Bowling Green State University junior Kandice Machain, the Falcon softball team came up short in a pair of close games Saturday (March 30). Host Kent State University recorded wins by the scores of 5-4 and 4-2 in the Mid-American Conference doubleheader at the KSU Softball Field.
With the wins, the Golden Flashes improve to 10-10 overall and 4-1 in MAC play, while BGSU drops to 10-12 and 3-3, respectively.
Machain, a native of Tucson, Ariz., had the first THREE homeruns of her collegiate career in the doubleheader. She began the first game by hitting a line-drive homer to straightaway center off KSU starter Melissa Rhodes, for her first round-tripper as a Falcon.
Each time BGSU scored in the first game, however, the Golden Flashes had an answer. In the bottom of the first, KSU's Marci Ridenbaugh and Danielle Fincham began with back-to-back triples. Ridenbaugh was a thorn in the Falcons' side all day, scoring three times in the first game and four times on the afternoon. After Fincham's triple, Grete Hornstrom followed with an RBI single off BG starter Jessie Milosek.
The Falcons responded in the third inning, tying the game at 2-2. Senior Natalie Phillips led off the inning with a double. Phillips had a two-base hit in each game of the DH. After a fly-ball out, senior Renee Rosemeier fouled out to the KSU catcher, but Phillips alertly tagged and advanced to third. Then, she came home on a single by junior Crystal Wilson.
Of Wilson's 12 RBI on the season, a team-high 11 have come with two outs.
Again, though, the Flashes would respond in the bottom of the frame, as Ridenbaugh had a leadoff hit and Hornstrom hit a one-out homer to right, giving KSU a 4-2 lead.
The Flashes scored again in the fifth, and again Ridenbaugh was the player crossing the plate. She drew a leadoff walk, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a Megan McGaughey double.
BGSU cut the lead with some two-out magic in the sixth inning. Redshirt freshman Marla Murphy laced a two-out single over shortstop Ridenbaugh's head, and Machain followed with her second homer of the day, cutting the lead to 5-4 and chasing Rhodes from the game.
Records are sketchy, but it is believed that Machain's two-homer game ties the school single-game record. Teammate Libby Voshell had what is believed to be the first two-homer contest in school history last year, going deep twice vs. Illinois on March 12, 2001.
The Falcons could get no closer, however. KSU reliever Tracie Logar got the final out of the sixth, then set the Brown and Orange down in order in the seventh for her first save of the year. Wilson gave the home fans a scare, though, hitting a two-out fly ball that KSU leftfielder Fincham gathered in at the fence for the final out.
Rhodes got the win. She allowed nine hits in five-and-two-thirds innings, walking two and striking out two. Milosek suffered the loss for the Brown and Orange, dropping to 4-2 on the season. She threw a complete-game eight-hitter, walking just one batter and fanning four.
Machain, Phillips and Murphy each had two hits in the game for the Falcons, with Machain scoring twice and driving in three runs. For the Flashes, Ridenbaugh was 2-for-2 with the three runs, while Hornstrom had two hits and three RBI.
In the nightcap, the Flashes got all the scoring they would need in the opening inning. Ridenbaugh again started things off with a walk, and took second on a groundout. Then, Hornstrom drew a walk. BGSU starter Jody Johnson induced the next batter, McGaughey, to fly out, but Lea Dorto singled to center to plate Ridenbaugh. Then, Renee Lynch hit a two-run double off the wall in right-center. Carrie Eneix followed with what appeared to be a two-run homer to left-center, giving the Flashes a 5-0 lead. Or so it seemed.
After BGSU head coach Leigh Ross-Shaw replaced Johnson with junior McKenna Houle, the Falcons appealed and the umpire ruled that Eneix was out for missing home plate. The inning was over, but the Falcons trailed by four runs.
Houle pitched well in relief, shutting the Flashes out in her five innings of work, but the Falcons could not score until the fifth. In that frame, freshman Sara "Sam" Moore had a leadoff single, but was retired at second on a fielder's choice by sophomore Jenifer Kernahan. One out later, Machain hit her third homer of the afternoon, driving a ball over the fence in right-center off KSU starter Logar. Phillips followed with another well-hit ball to nearly the same spot, but her drive hit high off the wall for a double. KSU's Kate Leary came on in relief, and was able to get a strikeout to end the inning.
Leary retired the side in order in both the sixth and seventh innings for her second save of the year. She struck out five of the seven batters she faced, giving up only one hard-hit ball -- a fly ball by senior Holly Frantz that Fincham caught at the wall in left to end the sixth.
Logar got the win for KSU, with four-and-two-thirds innings of five-hit ball. She walked one and fanned one. Johnson took the loss to drop to 0-2 on the year.
Houle allowed four hits and no runs in her five innings of work, walking three and fanning four.
Machain was the only player on either team with two hits in the game, and she had both BGSU RBI.
The Falcons now return home to prepare for a busy week of action. BGSU is slated to host Oakland University in a Monday (April 1) non-conference doubleheader, beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the BGSU Softball Field. Then, BG is scheduled to play a game at the University of Michigan Wednesday (April 3), before returning home to face Cleveland State University in a twinbill the following day.
The Falcons then return to MAC action with a weekend (April 6-7) series against visiting Central Michigan.
