Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
EAST CAROLINA
Falcons Split In Cougar Classic
March 13, 2004 | Softball
March 13, 2004
Final Stats -- Coll. of Charleston game
Final Stats -- East Carolina game
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - The Bowling Green State University softball team saw the offensive struggles continue in Saturday's (March 13) first game, but showed signs of breaking out in the second contest of the day. The Falcons lost to host College of Charleston, 5-0, but rebounded to beat East Carolina by a 3-2 count in day-two action of the Cougar Classic.
The Falcons, now 6-8 on the year, saw the host Cougars score three times in the third inning and twice more in the sixth to capture the opening game. The hosts got three hits off of BG sophomore Liz Vrabel, and benefitted from a Falcon error, all after two batters were retired in the third frame.
In the sixth, Charleston got some insurance on a single, a stolen base, a double and a sacrifice fly. C of C hurler Rachael Stern allowed only four hits and two walks in her complete-game effort, striking out four.
Vrabel took the loss for BG, allowing only two earned runs. She surrendered eight hits and walked one batter while whiffing six.
Senior Jenifer Kernahan had two of BGSU's four hits, while both Jacquie Rothey and Katie Ballard had a pair of hits for the Cougars. Amanda Cone scored two runs while Ballard knocked in a pair for the hosts.
In the Falcons' second game of the day, the BG bats collected nine hits en route to the one-run win. BG got on the board in the top of the fifth, as junior Kristen Anderson led off with a double down the left-field line. ECU retired the next two batters, but Marla Murphy came through with a double of her own to plate pinch-runner Kari Steigerwald.
In the sixth, the Falcons loaded the bases on hits by Gina Rango and Lindsay Heimrich and a walk to Anderson, but ECU pitcher Keli Harrell got a pair of fly-ball outs to end the threat.
Harrell was not so lucky in the seventh, although she did retire the inning's first two batters. Then, however, Megan McPherson walked, and Rango and Jenifer Kernahan had back-to-back singles to load the bases. Heimrich came to the plate and came through, with a two-run double to left-center.
Falcon senior Jody Johnson had blanked the Pirates through six innings, and got the leadoff batter in the seventh. But, she allowed a trio of walks to load the bases with two down, and Kate Manuse followed with a two-run double. With the tying and winning runs on base, however, Johnson got a grounder to shortstop to end the game.
Johnson picked up the complete-game win, allowing five hits. She did issue six walks, but the BG senior struck out nine Pirates. Harrell took the complete-game loss for ECU.
The Falcons held a 9-5 advantage in the hits department, with Rango going 3-for-4. Heimrich had a pair of hits in four trips. Five different ECU batters had one hit apiece.
The Cougar Classic concludes on Sunday (March 14), with playoff action. After ECU takes on the host school at 9:00 a.m., the Falcons are scheduled to meet UAB at 11:00. The winner of BG's game will advance to the championship game at 3:00 p.m., while the loser will participate in the 1:00 p.m. consolation contest.
Savannah State, originally scheduled to round out the tournament field, elected not to make the trip to Charleston.
