Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
CLEVELAND STATE
Falcons Split With Vikings To End Non-League Slate
April 29, 2003 | Softball
April 29, 2003
Final Stats - Game One
Final Stats - Game Two
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University softball team scored four times in the first two innings en route to a 5-2 win over host Cleveland State University and a split of the teams' Tuesday (April 29) doubleheader. The host Vikings took the first game by a score of 5-4 at Viking Field.
The Falcons are now 22-24-1 on the season, while CSU is 16-25-1 this year.
The first game was a back-and-forth affair that featured several ties and lead changes. BGSU started quickly, scoring a pair of first-inning runs on three hits. Senior Kandice Machain led off the game with a sharp single to leftfield and took second on a wild pitch. One out later, senior Libby Voshell drove a double off the wall in left to plate Machain with the game's first run. Voshell took third on a passed ball, and came home on a two-out single by junior Jenifer Kernahan.
The Vikes, however, evened the score against junior Jody Johnson in the second frame. Stephanie Taylor led off with a single, and was safe at second on a late throw after a fielder's choice grounder by Anna Hubert. Then, after a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, back-to-back singles by Lindsay Ball and Jessica Townsend scored a run apiece.
The game remained deadlocked at 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth, when CSU's Michelle Beightol lined an opposite-field homer over the wall in right with one out.
CSU doubled the lead with an unearned run in the sixth. With two outs and runners on first and second, Michelle Nicolas hit a bad-hop grounder and reached on an error, with Jessica Schlenkerman scoring an unearned run on the play.
The Falcons battled back, however, tying the score with a pair of seventh-inning runs. Freshman Lindsay Heimrich led off the inning with a gorgeous bunt that died several feet down the third-base line for an infield single. Voshell then hit a grounder to third for a fielder's choice, with Heimrich forced at second. The next batter, freshman Gina Rango, roped a double to left-center, with Voshell scoring all the way from first on the play.
Then, on an 0-2 pitch, Kernahan laced a double of her own to plate Rango with the tying run. Junior Valerie Tipton singled Kernahan to third, but she was stranded there.
The Vikings responded, however, winning the game in the bottom of the inning. Beightol led off with a single, and advanced to second on a wild pitch.. Taylor grounded back to the pitcher's circle for the first out, but Beightol took third on a Hubert single. Then, Schlenkerman reached on an error on an infield grounder, loading the bases for J.J. Thornberry. With the BG infield in, Thornberry singled off the glove of diving shortstop Voshell, allowing Beightol to cross the plate with the game-winning run.
The Falcons held an 11-7 advantage in the hits department, with Kernahan's 3-for-4 effort leading the way. She had two RBI in the game. Both Rango and Tipton were 2-for-4 in the game, while Voshell had two runs and one RBI.
Beightol had the lone multi-hit game for the Vikings, with a pair of hits and a pair of runs scored.
Johnson suffered the loss in a complete-game effort, allowing five runs (four earned) and seven hits in six-and-a-third innings. She walked three batters and struck out eight in dropping to 5-4 on the year.
For the Vikings, Grace Luginbuhl, the third pitcher of the game, picked up the win with two-thirds of an inning of one-hit relief. Lindsay Gervais (3.0 innings) and Thornberry (3 1/3 innings) each allowed a pair of runs in their pitching stints.
Both teams left 10 runners on base in the game.
In the second game, the Falcons pounded out 12 hits. BGSU got a first-inning run, on a hit and three walks, to take an early lead. Machain led off the game with a walk, and took second on a groundout. Voshell drew a base on balls, and a sharp single to left scored Machain. Kernahan also walked in the inning, but BG left the bases loaded.
The Vikings got a pair of runs off starting pitcher Heimrich in the bottom of the first. Nicholas had a leadoff single, but Heimrich retired the next two batters. Taylor, however, homered to centerfield to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.
The Falcons answered right back in the top of the second off of CSU starter Jessica Miller. Freshman Abby Habicht had a leadoff single and took second on a wild pitch. Redshirt sophomore Marla Murphy's single moved Habicht to third, and Murphy tagged and took second base after a fly-ball out. Then, Heimrich beat out an infield grounder to load the bases, and Voshell drew a walk to force Habicht home with the tying run. Miller got a fly ball for the second out, but Kernahan singled up the middle to score both Murphy and Heimrich, giving the Falcons the lead for good.
Freshman pitcher Liz Vrabel came into the game to start the third inning, and proceeded to set the Vikings down in order in each of the next four innings.
BGSU completed the scoring with a fifth-inning run. Habicht singled with one out, and Murphy laid down a sacrifice bunt. Murphy was safe on an error, with each runner taking an extra base on the play. Then, Machain's single up the middle plated Habicht to close the scoring.
Vrabel retired the first 13 batters she faced in the game, and didn't give up a hit until one out in the seventh. She surrendered a second hit, on a slow infield roller, but retired the side without allowing a run.
Vrabel earned the win with her five innings of two-hit shutout ball. She had seven strikeouts without issuing a walk in moving to 14-9 this season. Heimrich allowed two runs and three hits in her two innings, fanning two batters without allowing a walk.
Miller allowed five runs (four earned) in an inning-and-two-thirds of action. She issued four walks and had one strikeout. Kortney Spidell got the final out of the second inning and finished the game, giving up seven hits, but only one run.
BG pounded out 12 hits to the Vikings' five in the contest. Rango went 3-for-4 and drove in a run, while Kernahan was 1-for-3 and had her second two-RBI game of the day. Habicht and Heimrich each went 2-for-4, with Habicht scoring two runs and Heimrich one. Voshell was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.
Taylor had the lone two-hit game for the Vikings.
The Falcons now return to Mid-American Conference play, closing the season with a three-game weekend series at home against Eastern Michigan University. BGSU will face the Eagles in a Friday (May 2) single game, beginning at 3:30 p.m., and a Saturday (May 3) doubleheader that starts at 1:00 p.m. at the BGSU Softball Field.
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