Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
MOREHEAD STATE
Anderson Homers Again, Falcons Top Morehead State, 7-4
February 29, 2004 | Softball
Feb. 29, 2004
MACON, Ga. - The Bowling Green State University softball team, after totalling seven runs in the season's first four games, put up a six-spot in the second inning Sunday (Feb. 29), en route to a 7-4 win over Morehead State University. The game, the Falcons' fifth and final contest in the Comfort Inn Mercer Classic, was held at Sikes Field.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 3-2 on the weekend and on the year. The Eagles drop to 5-4.
After a scoreless first inning, the Brown and Orange exploded in the second. Freshman Jeanine Baca led off with a single and took second on Melissa Wagner's sacrifice. Sophomore Abby Habicht then laced a double to right-center to open the scoring. But, the Falcons were far from finished.
Freshman Ashley Zirkle drew a walk off MSU starter Nikki Shallcross, and classmate Emmy Ramsey sacrificed her to second and Habicht to third. Then, sophomore Lindsay Heimrich reached base on an Eagle throwing error, allowing Habicht to score and Zirkle to take third.
Freshman Megan McPherson then beat out an infield grounder for an RBI single, making the score 3-0. Junior Kristen Anderson doubled the Falcon lead with a three-run homerun, chasing Shallcross.
The Eagles, however, answered the Falcons' onslaught with a four-run third inning. After back-to-back walks opened the inning, an infield single loaded the bases, and an error allowed a run to score and kept the bases loaded.
A walk and a Melody Ross single cut the BG lead to 6-3 and prompted a pitching change. Sophomore Liz Vrabel replaced senior Jody Johnson and got three ground balls to get out of the inning. After an out at the plate on a fielder's choice grounder back to the circle, the Eagles got an RBI groundout to second base before an inning-ending grounder to first.
BGSU tacked on an insurance run in the top of the fifth. With one out, Baca reached on an error and took second on Wagner's infield single. After Baca and pinch-runner Marla Murphy pulled off a double steal, Habicht's sac fly to center plated Baca with the game's final run.
The Eagles did not go quietly, loading the bases with two outs in the sixth. But, Vrabel got a strikeout of Krystle Coleman to end that threat. In the seventh, MSU advanced a runner to second base, but she was gunned down by catcher Habicht in an unsuccessful stolen-base attempt to end the game.
Vrabel picked up the win to improve to 2-1 on the year, allowing only three hits in five innings of shutout ball. She walked a batter and struck out one.
Shallcross took the loss for the Eagles, allowing six runs (only one earned, due to the second-inning error) and five hits. Stephanie Hernandez pitched five-and-a-third innings of four-hit relief, giving up only an unearned run.
The Falcons outhit the Eagles, 9-6, with leadoff hitter Heimrich going 3-for-4. Habicht was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs batted in, while Anderson's three RBI in the game increased her season total to five.
For the Eagles, six different players had one hit apiece.
BGSU returns to action with a trip to Corpus Christi, Texas, next Friday and Saturday (March 6-7). The Falcons will participate in the Bash by the Bay, taking on host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Stephen F. Austin in a total of five games.
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