Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
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WESTERN MICHIGAN
Western Takes Two From Falcons
March 22, 2003 | Softball
March 22, 2003
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Host Western Michigan University rallied for a late game-one comeback, then scored seven runs in a two-inning span to take the second game and a doubleheader sweep of the Bowling Green State University softball team Saturday afternoon (March 22). The Broncos won by scores of 4-3 and 8-3 at WMU's Fran Ebert Field.
Western Michigan is now 12-8 overall and 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play, while the Falcons drop to 8-11-1 and 0-2, respectively. The twinbill marked the first MAC contests for both teams.
In the opener, the Falcons got on the board quickly, and it looked for quite a while as if BG's one run would be enough for a victory. Senior Kandice Machain reached on a one-out error in the top of the first inning, took second on a wild pitch by the Broncos' Leah Seffernick, and scored when freshman Gina Rango laced a double to the base of the wall in centerfield.
That was the lone hit that Seffernick would allow through the first six innings of the game, but her teammates could not solve Falcon freshman hurler Liz Vrabel until the bottom of the sixth. That inning, though, the roof fell in for the Brown and Orange.
The inning began with a single by WMU's Angie Fiero, who then took second on a sacrifice bunt. Crystale Gorny lined a ball off the glove of first baseman Candace Fenton for a game-tying double. After Marie McCarthy drew a walk, Vrabel got a strikeout of Gina Dobbs for the second out of the inning. But, Jaymie Voss then hit an opposite-field, three-run homer to right, giving the hosts a 4-1 lead.
BGSU, with some help from Western fielders, nearly tied the game in the top of the seventh. Rango led off with a single, and junior Valerie Tipton then reached on an error, as the throw to first base was low. Senior Crystal Wilson singled to score Rango, with Tipton moving to second.
Then, pinch-hitter Liz Tuza reached on another WMU error, loading the bases with one out. The next batter, Fenton, reached on a single as the Bronco shortstop fielded the ball deep in the hole and had no play. But, Seffernick then got Lindsay Heimrich to ground back to the pitcher for a force out at the plate, and induced another grounder from Machain which led to the game-ending force play at third base.
With the win, Seffernick moved to 8-2 on the season, while Vrabel fell to 5-4.
The Falcons got off to another quick start in the nightcap, as Heimrich led off the game with a single up the middle. Fenton sacrificed Heimrich to second, and a wild pitch sent her to third base. With two outs, Rango ripped a single through the left side of the infield to give the Brown and Orange an early lead.
BGSU doubled the lead in the second, as junior Jenifer Kernahan clubbed a Wendy Cannon pitch over the left-field fence for her second homer of the season. Voss replaced Cannon in the circle, and set the Falcons down in order.
In the bottom of the second, the Broncos got three runs to take the lead for good. Dobbs drew a leadoff walk, then Voss hit an RBI double to get the Broncos on the board against junior Jody Johnson. Cannon drew a two-out walk, and Fiero reached on an error to load the bases. Kelly Barnett drew a walk which plated a run and tied the contest, and Gorby's single to right scored Cannon. But, rightfielder Tuza threw a strike to the plate, where Kernahan applied the tag on Fiero to end the inning.
In the third, though, the Broncos broke the game open with a four-spot. McCarthy doubled, and back-to-back singles by Dobbs and Voss scored a run. One out later, Cannon's run-scoring double chased Johnson. Senior McKenna Houle gave up a single to Erin Malloch which caromed off third baseman Rango's glove into foul territory, but she then seemingly got Fiero to hit an infield popup for the second out. But, the umpire ruled an illegal pitch, which advanced the runners to second and third and kept Fiero at the plate. She took advantage by drawing a walk to load the bases.
Then, Houle got Barnett to hit a grounder back to the circle, and threw home for a force and the second out. An error on a pickoff attempt at third, however, allowed Malloch to score the Broncos's fourth run of the inning.
WMU added another run on a Malloch homer in the fifth inning. BGSU got a homer off the bat of Machain in the seventh, but could get no closer.
Voss, the second of three Bronco pitchers, got the win. Johnson suffered the loss to drop to 1-3 on the season.
The Falcons are scheduled to return to action with a Tuesday (March 25) doubleheader against the University of Michigan. The first game of that twinbill, which would open the home portion of the season for the Brown and Orange, is slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. at the BGSU Softball Field.
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