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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
TOLEDO
Falcons' Game-Two Comeback Earns DH Sweep At Toledo
April 22, 2002 | Softball
April 22, 2002
TOLEDO, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University softball team rallied for a six-run deficit to earn a 10-8 win over the University of Toledo and a sweep of the teams' Monday (April 22) doubleheader. The Mid-American Conference games were held at UT's Scott Park.
The Falcons got a pair of seventh-inning runs for a 3-1 win in the day's first game. The two wins improved BGSU's records to 16-21-1 overall and 7-9 in MAC action, and vaulted the Falcons from sixth to third place in the MAC's East Division. The losses drop Toledo to 10-30-1 and 1-15, respectively.
The Brown and Orange broke on top with a second-inning run in the opening game. Senior Holly Frantz laced a one-out double to centerfield, advanced to third on a groundout by sophomore Jenifer Kernahan, and scored when sophomore Jody Johnson looped a single into shallow right.
The host Rockets got even in the bottom of the second. Jenny Schaaf led off with an infield single, and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Horn. Schaaf stole third with Kalika Stavroulakis at the plate, and scored on a sac fly by Tiffany Edgar.
From that point on, the score remained tied at 1-1 until the seventh, although both teams had chances. In the top of the third, junior Kandice Machain and senior Natalie Phillips started the inning with back-to-back singles, and junior Libby Voshell's sac bunt advanced the runners to second and third. But, UT pitcher Colette McMasters got a short fly-ball out and a grounder back to the circle to get out of the jam.
UT threatened in the bottom of the third, putting runners on first and second with one out. But, senior Jessie Milosek threw a called strike three past Crystal Rizzuto, and got Schaaf to fly out to end the frame.
In the fifth, with a UT runner on third base, Milosek struck out Rizzuto on three pitches to end the inning. Milosek had a BGSU season-high eight strikeouts in the game.
BGSU finally broke the deadlock in the seventh. Freshman Sam Moore led off the frame by reaching base on a UT error, but was caught stealing with Machain at the plate. On the next pitch, Machain singled through the left side of the infield.
The next batter, Phillips, drew a walk, and Voshell's grounder to the right side produced the second out, but moved the runners to second and third. Rosemeier then hit McMasters' next pitch to left to score Machain, and Phillips came home when the throw from the outfield bounced away from the catcher.
Milosek retired the side in the bottom of the seventh, giving up only a two-out walk, for the win. Milosek, who improved to 8-4 on the year, has allowed only one run in each of her last three starts. She walked two batters and had the eight K's, scattering five hits. Milosek has thrown a complete game in each of her seven MAC starts.
McMasters took the loss, allowing just two earned runs in her seven innings of work.
Machain went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Frantz was 2-for-3. For the Rockets, Schaaf had two hits in three at-bats.
In the second game, the Rockets started quickly, scoring six runs in the first two innings against junior McKenna Houle. UT got three singles, two walks and a hit-by-pitch to score four times in the first inning. Then, two sincles, a walk and a double steal produced two more runs in the second.
The Falcons cut the deficit in half in the top of the third. Moore drew a leadoff walk against UT starter Kim Pettitt, and Phillips had a one-out single. On the next pitch, Voshell ripped a two-run double to left field, and she would come home on Rosemeier's single to make the score 6-3.
UT got a run back in the bottom of the third. Johnson moved from third base to the pitching circle for the Falcons, and walked Edgar with one out. Laurie Linton had a two-out single, and Vicki Nelson followed with a single of her own to load the bases. Then, Johnson walked Deanna House to force in a run, before getting Rizzuto to ground into a fielder's choice.
BG missed a golden opportunity in the fifth inning, as UT reliever Keri Perkins issued three walks, but got an infield popup to end the inning.
Then, UT scored in the bottom of that frame, on Nelson's double that scored Linton to make it an 8-3 Rocket lead.
The Falcons, down to their last six outs, narrowed the gap in the sixth on a clutch hit by Rosemeier. Johnson led off the inning with a single, and Moore drew her second walk of the game. After a fly-ball out, a walk to Phillips loaded the bases and brought McMasters into the game for the Rockets. McMasters induced Voshell to hit a grounder back to the circle, and threw home for the force and the second out.
Then, however, Rosemeier laced a 2-0 pitch to right-center to clear the bases and make the score 8-6.
Johnson walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the sixth, but got a double-play grounder and a short fly ball to retire the side. BGSU came to the plate in the seventh, still trailing by a pair of runs.
The Falcons tied the game rather quickly. Frantz led off with a single up the middle, and scored on Kernahan's double to right-center. Johnson beat out a bunt for a hit, sending pinch-runner Liz Tuza to third. Then, the BG baserunners got in a rundown, as Johnson broke for second and stopped. UT catcher Edgar's throw skipped off the glove of shortstop Jennifer Mielke, as Tuza broke for home. Tuza scored as the return throw bounded away, allowing the Falcons to tie the game and Johnson to take third.
McMasters, however, retired the next three hitters to strand Johnson, the potential go-ahead run. Johnson returned to the circle and retired the side, giving up only a two-out walk, to send the game into extra innings.
Both pitchers set the side down in order in the eighth, getting a strikeout and two grounders apiece. Then, the Brown and Orange went to work in the ninth.
Frantz led off with a walk, and Kernahan's single sent her to second. Both runners moved up a base on Johnson's groundout, and Moore's single through the right side plated Frantz with what would prove to be the winning run.
McMasters got the next batter, Machain, to hit a grounder, but it was misplayed for an error as Kernahan crossed the plate.
In the bottom of the inning, Johnson issued a one-out walk, but got Edgar to ground into a game-ending double play.
Johnson pitched seven innings of relief for her first win of the year (1-2). She allowed just two runs and four hits. Johnson walked six batters and fanned two.
McMasters took the loss, allowing four runs (two earned) in three-and-two-thirds innings. Pettitt (three innings) and Perkins (two-and-a-third innings) each allowed three runs in the game.
Houle gave up six runs on five hits in two innings. She walked three and struck out two.
Kernahan had three hits in five trips to the plate, her second three-hit game in the last four contests. Johnson went 2-for-5, while Rosemeier went 2-for-4 with four runs batted in, and extended her BGSU season-long hitting streak to 11 games.
Voshell had two runs and two RBI, while Frantz and Phillips each crossed the plate twice.
For the Rockets, Nelson went 4-for-5 in the game, while Schaaf and Stavroulakis each had a pair of RBI. Both House and Nelson scored two runs.
The Falcons will return to action with a Wednesday (April 24) doubleheader at Ball State, before returning home for a three-game weekend series (April 27-28) vs. Buffalo.
