Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OAKLAND
Oakland Cools BG Bats In Sweep Of Falcons
April 22, 2003 | Softball
April 22, 2003
Final Stats - Game One
Final Stats - Game Two
ROCHESTER, Mich. - Cold weather and Oakland University pitching combined to cool off the Bowling Green State University bats, as the host Golden Grizzlies swept a non-conference softball doubleheader Tuesday afternoon (April 22). OU took the first game by a 4-1 score, then got a no-hitter from pitcher Nicole Marzano in a 5-0, second-game win.
With the wins, the hosts improve to 19-20-1 on the season, while the Falcons drop to 20-20-1 on the year.
The opening game featured a pitching matchup between a pair of sisters, as sophomore Kristen Anderson faced off against her sister, Julie. Both Andersons had solid outings in the circle, as Kristen and Julie combined to keep the opponents off the scoreboard through the first three innings.
The Golden Grizzlies threatened to break through in the second inning, as the first two batters got hits to put runners on first and third. But, Kristen Anderson got Lauren Seffens to hit a grounder to shortstop Libby Voshell. Voshell threw home, where catcher Jenifer Kernahan applied the tag to Jennifer Granger, who had doubled, for the first out of the inning.
With runners on first and second, Erica Judge hit another grounder to Voshell, who tagged Christina Schulte as she tried to advance to third, then flipped the ball to second baseman Abby Habicht to force Seffens at second, completing the double play and ending the inning.
In the fourth, it was the Falcons' turn to post a threat. Freshman Lindsay Heimrich singled off Julie Anderson's glove for BGSU's first hit of the game. Voshell laid down a sacrifice bunt, and was safe herself on an OU error as Heimrich took third. But, after a strikeout, Voshell was caught stealing, and Julie Anderson got a grounder to third to end the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, the Grizzlies finally broke through with an unearned run. Linnea Utecht led off the frame with a single, and took second on a sac bunt. Schulte singled her to third, and Utecht scored when a Seffens popup into shallow rightfield was dropped for a BG error. Kristen Anderson responded by getting a pair of groundouts to end the inning.
OU doubled the lead in the fifth. Nina Catanzaro and Ericka Burns had back-to-back singles off junior Jody Johnson to start the inning. With the next batter, Megan Piar, at the plate, a return throw after a pitch ticked off Johnson's glove, and Catanzaro took off for third, but was tagged out.
Piar laid down a sac bunt, and both runners were safe as Burns slid into second base ahead of the BG throw. Then, Utecht walked to load the bases, but Johnson got a foul pop for the second out. However, Schulte singled to score Burns before Johnson got out of the inning with a fly ball for the third out.
The Grizzlies again doubled the lead with a pair of sixth-inning runs on a two-out rally. Catanzaro singled, and Burns was hit by a pitch before Piar roped a two-run double to left. Piar was thrown out at third, but both runners had already crossed the plate.
BGSU's lone run of the game, and of the day, came in the seventh. Kernahan drew a one-out walk, and senior Crystal Wilson laced a run-scoring double to right-center. Wilson had two of the Falcons' three hits in the game, and hit the ball hard in all three at-bats in game one.
Wilson got to third on a groundout, but was stranded there as Julie Anderson got the final out for the win. Julie Anderson, a senior, allowed one run and three hits in improving to 9-9 on the season. She walked two batters and struck out five in her complete-game effort.
Kristen Anderson, for her part, allowed just an unearned run and four hits in her four innings of work. She walked one and fanned two, but saw her record fall to 2-2. Johnson allowed three runs and four hits in her three innings of relief, walking a pair of batters.
Schulte led OU's eight-hit effort, going 3-for-3 with a run batted in. Piar, one of six Oakland players to collect one hit in the game, had two RBI, while Burns scored two runs.
In the nightcap, the hosts struck quickly against senior McKenna Houle. Piar hit a one-out double in the first inning, and came home on Utecht's triple to center. Utecht would score on a sacrifice fly by Granger.
OU scored three more times in the second inning. Camie Knorr led off with a single, and Burns was safe on a one-out BG error. Then, Piar's two-run triple plated both runners, and Utecht knocked home her second run of the game with a groundout that scored Piar.
From then on, BG relievers Johnson and Heimrich would hold the Golden Grizzlies without a hit, but the damage had been done.
Following Piar's aforementioned triple with one out in the bottom of the second, there were no more hits in the game.
The Falcons, while drawing five walks, could not get a hit off Marzano, who improved to 6-3 on the year. She struck out nine BG batters in the game.
Houle dropped to 2-7, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits in her two innings of work. Johnson pitched three hitless innings, walking three and fanning three.
Heimrich, pitching for just the third time this season, worked a one-two-three sixth inning, striking out the last two batters.
The no-hitter was the first against the Falcons in over two years (April 7, 2001, at Central Michigan). Marzano, who faced five batters over the minimum, threw two wild pitches and hit one batter.
At the plate, Piar had two of Oakland's six hits, with two runs scored and two RBI. Utecht also had two RBI in game two.
The Falcons will return to the diamond Wednesday (April 23), with a home game against the arch-rival University of Toledo. The Mid-American Conference contest will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the BGSU Softball Field.
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