Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
BUFFALO
Rosemeier, Falcons Explode At Plate, 10-7
April 28, 2002 | Softball
April 28, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Senior Renee Rosemeier had a career-high four hits as the Bowling Green State University softball team posted a 10-7 victory over the University at Buffalo Sunday afternoon (April 28) on "Senior Day" at the BGSU Softball Field.
The Falcons, now 18-24-1 overall and 9-12 in the Mid-American Conference, pounded out a season-high 15 hits as a team to rebound after losing Saturday's two games vs. the Bulls. Buffalo is now 9-23 and 4-14, respectively.
Rosemeier was 4-for-4 at the plate, with two runs scored and three RBI, in the victory. Rosemeier has had seven three-hit games in her BGSU career, but Sunday's game was the first time she had four hits as a collegian.
Three of Rosemeier's hits were doubles, pacing a Falcon attack which saw eight different players collect hits. The three BGSU seniors in the lineup combined for six hits, six runs scored and five RBI in the win.
In addition to Rosemeier's hitting exploits, four other Falcons had two hits apiece in the game. Juniors Kandice Machain, Libby Voshell and Crystal Wilson and sophomore Jennifer Kernahan all had multi-hit games.
On a blustery day, to say the very least, the visiting Bulls got the day's first run, getting a marker off senior Rebekah Tipton in the top of the first. Marce Ross doubled to centerfield on the game's first pitch, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Melissa Pace.
The Falcons responded, however, with a three-run first inning. Machain singled up the middle and took second on a wild pitch by UB's Andrea Sage. Senior Natalie Phillips bunted, but the Bulls cut down Machain attempting to take third.
Voshell, however, lined a single right back up the middle. Sage put her glove in front of her body in self-defense, and the ball ricocheted off the glove and into shallow center. Then, Rosemeier smashed her first double of the day, a ground-rule shot to right-center which actually went under the fence.
The next hitter, Wilson, singled to left to plate Voshell and give the Falcons the lead for good, with Voshell taking second. Senior Holly Frantz then hit a grounder to second base for a fielder's choice, and Rosemeier scored on the play to give BG a two-run lead.
Junior McKenna Houle came on to start the second inning for the Falcons, and retired the Bulls one-two-three. Then, BGSU got another run in the bottom of the inning. Machain beat out a one-out grounder to short for a single, and was safe at second after Sage fielded Phillips' grounder and threw low to second. Voshell walked to load the bases, and Rosemeier's liner hit Sage in the leg and caromed toward third base. UB third baseman Pace grabbed the ball and made an unsuccessful lunging attempt at Phillips, but the Falcon senior was safe as Machain scored.
Stacey Evans came on to replace Sage, and got two ground-ball fielder's choices to get out of the inning with no further damage.
The Falcons extended the lead with a four-run fourth, with the middle of the lineup again involved in the scoring. Phillips led off with a single and took second on another Voshell single up the middle. Then, Rosemeier doubled to right-center to plate Phillips and send Voshell to third.
After a strikeout, Frantz singled through the left side of the UB infield to score Voshell, and Kernahan doubled over the centerfielder's head to plate both Rosemeier and Frantz. Evans retired the next two batters, but BGSU had an 8-1 lead through four innings.
Neither team would score again until the sixth. Houle, who had allowed just one hit through her first four innings of work, gave up back-to-back doubles to Ross and Pace to start the sixth. Then, the BGSU junior got Breanne Nasti, the Bulls' leading hitter, to ground out. But, Ann Magur reached on a BG error as Pace crossed the plate. Singles by Julie Hibner and Allison Round loaded the bases, and Jackie O'Brien followed with a single up the middle to score two more runs.
Houle then got Dominique Jones and Jessica Kensy to ground out, but the Bulls were within three runs at 8-5.
Rosemeier got the Falcons back on track in the bottom of the sixth, leading off with her third double of the day. Wilson singled to send Rosemeier to third, and Wilson took an extra base when the throw from the outfield missed the cutoff. Frantz drew a walk to load the bases with no outs.
Evans got Kernahan to hit a grounder to second, and the throw home forced Rosemeier for the first out of the inning. Then, redshirt sophomore Liz Tuza also hit into a fielder's choice play to force Wilson at the plate, and it appeared as if the Bulls might get out of the jam.
Redshirt freshman Marla Murphy got an RBI the hard way, however, as Evans hit her with a pitch. Machain drew a walk to force home another run before the Bulls got out of the inning.
The Bulls got a pair of controversial runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but could get no closer. With runners on first and second, Hibner lifted a fly ball to right that dropped near or on the right-field line. Both runners came around to score, and Hibner advanced all the way to third base. The Falcons argued that the ball had landed in foul territory, but the umpires did not overturn the play.
Houle, however, got a strikeout of Round to end the game and pick up the win. Houle (5-11) allowed eight hits and six runs (five earned) in her six innings of relief, walking one batter and fanning three. Tipton surrendered two hits in her inning of work.
Sage took the loss for UB to drop to 1-7 on the year. She gave up six hits and four runs (three earned) in an inning and a third, walking one and striking out one.
Evans gave up six runs and nine hits in her four-and-two-thirds innings of relief. She issued two walks and had a strikeout.
Four members of the Bulls -- Hibner, Nasti, Pace and Ross -- had two hits apiece, with Pace, Hibner and O'Brien driving in two runs apiece. Ross and Magur each scored twice.
For the Brown and Orange, Frantz, Phillips, Rosemeier and Voshell all scored a pair of runs, while Rosemeier drove in three teammates. Frantz and Kernahan each had a pair of RBI.
Kernahan extended her hitting streak to 11 games, and is batting .486 in that time, with 17 hits in 35 at-bats. Machain now has an eight-game hitting streak, going 13-of-34 (.382) in that span.
The Falcons will begin the final week of the regular season with a single game at arch-rival Toledo Wednesday (May 1). That contest will begin at 4:00 p.m. After a non-league game at Detroit Thursday (May 2), the Falcons will close the season with a Sunday (May 5) doubleheader at Ohio. BGSU is looking to qualify for the MAC Tournament for the fifth consecutive year. The league tourney will be held May 9-11 at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
