Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
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Two-Out Magic Leads BGSU Past NIU, 7-2
May 08, 2003 | Softball
May 8, 2003
AKRON, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University softball team scored six two-out runs en route to a 7-2 win over Northern Illinois University Thursday afternoon (May 8). The game, the Mid-American Conference Tournament opener for both teams, was played at Firestone Stadium.
With the win, the fifth-seeded Falcons improve to 26-24-1 on the season, and BGSU advances to face top-seeded Marshall University in Thursday's final game, at 7:30 p.m. The Falcons have now won five consecutive games. NIU, the fourth seed for the six-team tournament, drops to 23-20-1 on the year.
The Falcons got on the board quickly, scoring a run in the top of the first inning. With one out, freshman Lindsay Heimrich's soft liner landed just fair down the left-field line for a double. One out later, freshman Gina Rango laced a single to right-center to score her classmate with the Falcons' first two-out run of the day.
The Huskies threatened to score in the third inning, as Amy Ligmanowski hit a leadoff double that senior centerfielder Kandice Machain nearly caught. Machain made a long run and dive to get a glove on the ball in right-center, but the ball popped out of her glove when she hit the ground. Ligmanowski then took third on a wild pitch by freshman Liz Vrabel. But, Vrabel responded, getting a strikeout of Megan Meyer and groundouts off the bats of Lisa Mattke and Kelly Redican to end the inning.
The Falcons took a six-run lead with a monster fourth inning. All five runs in that inning came with two outs. NIU starter Amy Krahula walked senior Crystal Wilson to start the inning, and sophomore Stephanie Finkel's sacrifice bunt resulted in a fielder's choice, as Huskie first baseman Toni Del Toro looked toward second, then threw too late to first to get Finkel.
With the runners on first and second, Krahula then got a popup for the first out, and sophomore Marla Murphy's foul ball on a 1-2 count was ruled a bunt attempt, resulting in a strikeout and the second out. But, the inning was far from over.
Machain singled to right-center, and pinch-runner Jody Johnson slid in under the tag attempt of NIU catcher Paige Shemoski for the Falcons' second run of the game. Then, Heimrich followed with a line single to plate Finkel from third. Senior Libby Voshell then came to the plate. The shortstop hit two long foul balls, then blasted a 1-2 offering over the fence in dead center to give BG a 6-0 lead. The Falcons batted around in the inning.
The lead remained the same until the top of the sixth inning. Heimrich relieved Vrabel in the circle, but NIU's Meyer and Mattke hit back-to-back homers to left. Vrabel returned to the game, and allowed an infield single to Redican. Then, Shelby Bernard's grounder resulted in a fielder's choice, with Redican safe at second when the throw was dropped. But, Vrabel struck out Shemoski on three pitches, then got Kelly Drozd to hit a foul pop that was caught by Rango at third base. When Vrabel induced Del Toro to fly out to center, the Falcons were out of the inning.
"Nearly all year long, we've been pretty good with two outs," said Falcon head coach Leigh Ross-Shaw. "Early in the season, we weren't quite putting it all together. But now, it just feels like we will do whatever we need to do to get the job done."
Rango gave the Falcons another insurance run with a long homer to left-center to lead off the seventh inning. Vrabel worked a one-two-three seventh to give the Brown and Orange the win.
Vrabel pitched a complete-game shutout, sort of. She allowed no runs and only three hits in seven innings of work, walking one and striking out six. Vrabel improves to 17-9 on the season.
Krahula allowed six runs and six hits in her three-and-two-thirds innings of action, walking one and whiffing two. Krahula, who earned all three wins when the Huskies swept the Falcons two weeks ago, saw her record drop to 13-8.
Paige Granath worked three-and-a-third innings of relief, allowing one run and three hits. She had a strikeout and did not issue a walk.
At the plate, frosh Rango and Heimrich each had two of BGSU's nine hits, with Heimrich scoring two runs. Voshell had three RBI and Rango two.
Five different Huskies had a hit apiece.
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