Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
MARSHALL
Falcons Lose Squeaker To Marshall, 2-1
May 08, 2003 | Softball
May 8, 2003
AKRON, Ohio - Top-seeded Marshall University benefitted from several close plays to post a 2-1 victory over the Bowling Green State University softball team Thursday night (May 8). The Mid-American Conference Tournament game was held at Firestone Stadium.
With the win, the Thundering Herd improves to 41-15 on the season, while the fifth-seeded Falcons drop to 26-25-1. BGSU will return to the diamond to face Central Michigan University in an elimination game Friday (May 9) at 1:30 p.m.
Pitchers Liz Vrabel and Randi Nielson hooked up in a battle, as the Falcon freshman and the Thundering Herd sophomore kept the opponents off the scoreboard for the first three innings. BGSU had some early chances against Nielson, named the MAC Pitcher of the Year on Wednesday night, but the Browna and Orange left two runners on base in each of the first two innings.
The Falcons had five hits over the first four innings, but could not score a run. Marshall, however, only had one hit until De'Shaun Drake homered with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Drake's fly ball glanced off the top of the right-field fence, which is approximately three-and-a-half feet high, and landed on the other side. Firestone's left- and right-field fences are 190 feet away from the plate.
The Falcons, however, responded with a run in the top of the sixth inning. Senior Libby Voshell began the inning with a double, and took third on a Nielson wild pitch. Nielson got an infield grounder for the first out, with Voshell forced to hold at third. But, next up was the Falcons' RBI leader.
Junior Jenifer Kernahan battled Nielson, fouling off several pitches before hitting a grounder up the middle. MU shortstop Jessica Williams made a diving stop, but her throw toward first did not have enough on it to beat Kernahan to the bag. Voshell scored on the infield single.
The Herd, however, manuafactured a run in the bottom of the inning. With the Falcon infield in on Jessica Williams, playing for the 'slap' hit, Williams hit a roller past Vrabel and into centerfield. Williams wound up on second base for a leadoff double.
The next hitter, Sierra Davenport, bunted Williams to third, and Amanda Williams (Jessica's twin sister and the MAC Freshman of the Year) came to the plate. She bunted toward first baseman Lindsay Heimrich, who fielded the ball and checked third base. When Heimrich turned and threw to first, Jessica Williams broke for home. Williams beat the throw, but catcher Kernahan blocked the plate. However, on a close play at the dish, Williams was called safe for what proved to be the winning run.
Nielson set the Falcons down in order in the seventh to give the Herd the win.
"We played awesome today," said fifth-year Falcon coach Leigh Ross-Shaw. "Liz is feeling bad, I think, about the homer, but it was basically just a fly ball. It hit a 190-foot fence and bounced over. She was great today.
"I don't think our team is down or demoralized. I think, if anything, we're a little more angry and ready to come back and play again tomorrow."
Vrabel allowed only four hits in her complete-game effort, striking out six batters without issuing a walk. She is now 17-10 on the season.
Nielson surrendered seven hits. She also did not walk a batter, and had four strikeouts in improving to 23-5.
At the plate, seniors Voshell and Crystal Wilson each went 2-for-3 to pace the Falcons' seven-hit attack. Both players had a double and a single.
Four different members of the Herd had a hit apiece.
In other Thursday action, Miami defeated CMU, 8-1, in the first game of the day, before the Falcons topped Northern Michigan by a 7-2 score. In the third game, Western Michigan got back-to-back homers for a 2-1 win over the RedHawks, before BGSU and Marshall closed the first day of action.
Thursday's schedule, weather permitting, has Miami facing NIU in the day's first elimination game, beginning at 11:00 a.m. BGSU and CMU, the third seed, are slated to play at 1:30 p.m., followed by the two remaining unbeatens, Marshall and WMU, at 5:00 p.m. The Miami-NIU winner and the BGSU-CMU survivor will meet in the day's final game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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