Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Falcons Win in Dramatic Fashion, 3-2, Over Huskies
April 25, 2004 | Softball
April 25, 2004
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Freshman Jeanine Baca's bases-loaded single capped a two-run seventh inning as the Bowling Green State University softball team rallied for a 3-2 win over Northern Illinois University Sunday afternoon (April 25). The come-from-behind win completed a Falcon sweep of the teams' three-game weekend series at the BGSU Softball Field.
The win moves the Falcons over the .500 mark, at 24-23 overall, and BG is now 11-7 in MAC play. The Huskies drop to 12-35 and 4-13, respectively.
The Falcons had little problem getting runners on base, but did had a bit of a problem scoring them until the final inning. BGSU stranded a total of 14 runners in the game.
The contest was scoreless through three innings. For the first time in the three-game series, the Falcons did not score in the first. Baca led off with a liner that Huskie leftfielder Kelly Drozd was able to track down near the left-field line with a nice running catch. Sophomores Lindsay Heimrich and Gina Rango had back-to-back singles with two outs, but NIU starter Paige Granath was able to get a ground ball to get out of the inning.
The Falcons left five runners on base through the first three innings. In the third, BG got three hits but could not score. A leadoff hit by Baca was erased by a double play on a popped-up bunt. Heimrich followed with her second single of the game, and, with a 2-2 count and Rango at the plate, Huskie head coach Donna Martin replaced her with Kathy Dearborn. Rango fouled off two pitches before drilling a ball off the wall in left-center. But, Dearborn was able to get a grounder to end the inning.
She was not so lucky in the fourth, however, as the Falcons broke the scoreless tie. Senior Jenifer Kernahan, who had hit a fly ball to the left-field wall in her first at-bat, led off with a sharp single to left. Sophomore Abby Habicht sacrificed pinch-runner Marla Murphy to second, and freshman Kari Steigerwald followed with a double to centerfield to score Murphy with the game's first run.
 Sophomore Gina Rango went 2-for-2 on Sunday and hit .625 in the NIU series (photo by Jonathan Willey)  |
|
Toni Del Toro worked Vrabel for a walk after a lengthy at-bat, loading the bases. Vrabel got Lacey Gones to pop up for the first out, and induced pinch-hitter Kelly Park to hit a grounder to third. Rango threw home, but Bernard was safe on the play as it was ruled that catcher Habicht had pulled her foot off the bag.
Vrabel got Kelly Redican to hit a grounder to first, leading to a force at the plate, and got Therese Harper to ground out to third base to end the inning.
The Falcons threatened again in the fifth, as Heimrich reached on a pair of errors. She reached first when new Huskie second baseman Park could not come up with the ball cleanly, then took second when Park's throw went into the NIU dugout. The Huskies issued an intentional walk to Rango, and junior Kristen Anderson greeted new pitcher Amy Krahula with a sac bunt to put the runners in scoring position. But, Krahula got Kernahan to pop up for the second out, then second baseman Kara Schuur (re-entered into the game) made a running catch of Habicht's blooper on the outfield grass to end the threat. The Falcons left nine runners on base through the first five frames.
The visitors took the lead in the top of the seventh. Dearborn led off with a walk, and took second on a Del Toro groundout. Then, Gones hit a scorcher to the right side. Second baseman Megan McPherson was able to dive and get a glove on the ball, slowing it down, but the ball rolled slowly into the outfield, enabling Dearborn to score the go-ahead run.
BGSU, however, rallied in the bottom of the inning. The drama began when Rango drew a leadoff walk. Granath, the NIU original starter, returned to the circle, replacing Krahula. Anderson again greeted a Huskie pitcher with a successful sac bunt, sending Rango to second.
Kernahan followed with a single to left, and Rango beat the throw home to tie the game. In addition to driving home the tying run, Kernahan advanced to second on the throw home, putting yet another BGSU runner in scoring position.
 Freshman Kari Steigerwald went 2-for-2 and doubled home the game's first run (BGSU Photo Services) |
|
The Falcons pounded out 11 hits in the win, tying a season high in conference games, and BGSU also drew six walks on the afternoon. Five players had two-hit games, including Rango, who was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored.
Steigerwald also was 2-for-2, while Baca, Heimrich and Kernahan all were 2-for-4 in the win. Kernahan scored a run and drove in a run, while Baca and Steigerwald each had a walk and an RBI.
Vrabel picked up her 13th win of the season with her complete-game three-hitter. The sophomore, now 13-12, walked three batters and struck out five.
Granath took the loss for the Huskies to drop to 1-8. She allowed a run and six hits in three innings. Dearborn gave up a run and five hits in an inning and two-thirds, walking three batters with one strikeout. Krahula did not allow a hit, but walked three batters and gave up a run in two innings.
The Falcons will strp outside of MAC play for a pair of midweek twinbills. The Brown and Orange will host Cleveland State in a Tuesday (April 27) doubleheader, with the first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at the BGSU Softball Field. Then, BG will head to Detroit for a Thursday (April 29) double-dip, before playing a three-game weekend series at Eastern Michigan. The Falcons close the regular season with three home games vs. league-leading Central Michigan on May 8-9.
