Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
STONY BROOK
Softball Sweeps Stony Brook With Two Shutouts
March 15, 2003 | Softball
March 15, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Libby Voshell had five hits, and Kristen Anderson and Liz Vrabel each threw complete-game shutouts as the Bowling Green State University softball team swept Stony Brook Saturday afternoon (March 15). The Falcons won by scores of 6-0 and 8-0 (second game five innings) in day-two action at the Cavalier Classic, hosted by the University of Virginia.
With the victories, the Falcons improve to 8-7-1 on the season, while dropping the Seawolves to 3-9. The shutouts were the sixth and seventh by BGSU pitching this spring.
In the opener, Anderson allowed only five hits in recording her first complete-game shutout as a Falcon. She walked two batters and fanned four in improving to 2-0 on the season.
The Seawolves' Jessica Paparella (2-4) held the Falcons off the scoreboard until the top of the fourth inning, when the first four batters reached base. Voshell led off with a single, and freshman Gina Rango drew a walk. Then, junior Valerie Tipton singled to load the bases, and a single by senior Crystal Wilson scored Voshell to give the Falcons the only run Anderson would need. But, BG was not finished.
Junior Jenifer Kernahan lined out to the pitcher, but freshman Abby Habicht reached on a bunt single, with classmate Rango scoring. After a grounder produced a force at the plate, freshman Abby Habicht drew a walk to score Wilson.
In the fifth, the Falcons got a run with the help of two errors. Kernahan's two-out single up the middle scored Rango, who had reached base on one of those Stony Brook miscues.
The Falcons completed the scoring in the seventh, with a pair of runs. Voshell led off the frame with a homerun, her third of the season and the 10th of her career. She ranks fourth on that BGSU career list, just four round-trippers shy of record-holder Lynsey Ebel.
After Voshell's homer, Rango and junior Liz Tuza had back-to-back singles. A fielder's choice and a popup produced two outs, but Habicht then singled up the middle to score Tuza with the game's final run.
The Falcons outhit the Seawolves, 12-5, in the contest. Voshell and Rango each had two hits and scored twice, while Habicht each had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI. Stephanie Dibiase had two of Stony Brook's five hits.
In the second game, Vrabel allowed only three singles and matched her season-high total with 10 strikeouts in raising her record to 5-2. Vrabel, who did not walk a batter in the game, recorded her third complete-game shutout of the young season.
The freshman hurler now has gone 25 innings covering six appearances without allowing an earned run. She has allowed a total of just 11 hits in those 25 innings, while walking just six hitters and recording 32 strikeouts.
Vrabel has not allowed an earned run in eight of her nine appearances this year.
At the plate, the Falcons broke on top with a run in the bottom of the first, off Stony Brook starter Angela Andrews (1-5). Junior Candace Fenton and Voshell had back-to-back singles with one out, and Rango had an infield hit to load the bases. Then, Kernahan's groundout scored Fenton to give BG the early lead.
The game remained 1-0 until the fourth inning. Tuza and sophomore Sara Edwards began the inning by reaching base on errors, putting runners at first and third. Then, back-to-back groundouts b Habicht and Heimrich produced one run each.
In the fifth, Voshell had a leadoff double, and took third on a Rango single. Then, Kernahan doubled both runners home, and Tuza singled down the leftfield line to move Kernahan to third. Pinch-hitter Stephanie Finkel came to the plate, and the sophomore had the first hit and the first two RBI of her career with a single down the leftfield line. Paparella relieved Andrews and struck out the first batter she faced. But, Heimrich ended the game with a double to left-center which scored Finkel and gave the Falcons an eight-run lead.
Andrews allowed all eight runs (six earned) and 11 hits in her four-plus innings of work. Paparella surrendered one hit in a third of an inning. Each Stony Brook hurler struck out one batter and did not issue a walk.
Voshell went 3-for-3 to face the Falcons' 12-hit attack in game two, while Rango and Heimrich each had a pair of hits. Kernahan had three RBI, with Finkel and Heimrich collecting two apiece.
Vrabel only faced 18 batters in recording her 10 strikeouts. She allowed the three singles and gave up three groundouts, a popup and a bunt that resulted in a fielder's choice.
In Saturday's other action at the Cavalier Classic, Seton Hall swept Virginia by scores of 2-0 and 6-1. SHU is now 4-0 in the tournament, with BGSU and UVa both 2-2 and Stony Brook 0-4. The Falcons will conclude action in the Cavalier Classic with a Sunday (March 16) doubleheader against the host Cavaliers, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
