Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
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WESTERN MICHIGAN
Falcons, Broncos Split Day-Night Doubleheader
April 09, 2004 | Softball
April 9, 2004
Final Stats - Game One
Final Stats - Game Two
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - It didn't start out as a day-night doubleheader at the Bowling Green State University Softball Field. But, it ended up that way.
The Falcons and Western Michigan University battled through a pair of 12-inning games on Good Friday, with each team picking up a win. BGSU captured a 1-0 decision in the opener, before the Broncos took a 4-3 game in the nightcap.
Fans who ventured out to the BGSU Softball Field for the Friday twinbill certainly got their money's worth (especially since admission is free). In the opening game, BG sophomore Liz Vrabel and WMU senior Laura Stewart hooked up in an epic pitchers' duel.
The Falcons got a runner as far as third base in the fourth. Sophomore Lindsay Heimrich led off with a single down the left-field line, and took second on classmate Gina Rango's sacrifice bunt. Heimrich advanced to third on a Jenifer Kernahan grounder to the right side, but Stewart got Kristen Anderson to hit a grounder to third base for the final out of the inning.
Vrabel had a perfect game until there were two outs in the fifth. Crystal Gorny hit a grounder to third, and reached first safely when the throw was low. But, Vrabel got Stefanie Scheumann to hit a grounder to second base to end the inning.
Vrabel's no-hit bid, however, remained intact until there were two outs in the seventh. The Broncos' Amy Fleming hit a sinking liner to right-centerfield that fell just in front of the glove of Anderson for a double. But, Vrabel got the next batter, Kristi Strange, on a called third strike for the third out.
The game continued without a run, but the Broncos threatened in the 11th inning, putting two runners on base for the first time all day. After Vrabel issued her first walk of the day, a two-out free pass to pinch-hitter Melissa Brink, Katie Niemi followed with a bad-hop grounder that bounced over the head of second baseman Megan McPherson for a single. WMU's Tricia VanDerSlik, running on the play, made it from first to third. But, Vrabel got Mary McCloskey to hit a fly ball to left, and BG junior Stephanie Finkel made a nice running catch in foul ground to end the threat.
In the 12th inning, a new wrinkle came into play. MAC rules call for the international tiebreaker to go into effect in the 12th frame, with a runner placed on second base to start the inning.
With McCloskey starting the inning on second for Western, Kelly Barnett drew a walk to put two runners aboard with no outs. The next batter, Jaymie Voss, hit a liner that was speared by Heimrich, who whirled and beat Barnett to the first-base bag for an unassisted double play. Vrabel got the next hitter, Fleming, to ground out to third.
In the bottom of the inning, Kernahan led off with a well-executed sacrifice bunt, sending Rango to third. From there, Anderson ended the game with a single up the middle to score Rango.
Vrabel had one of the finest outings of her Falcon career. She picked up the complete-game, 12-inning shutout win, improving to 7-10 on the season. Vrabel allowed only two hits, and did not walk a batter. Additionally, she had a career-high 14 strikeouts, including three each vs. leadoff hitter McCloskey and cleanup batter Fleming.
For her part, Stewart was stellar as well. In 11 1/3 innings, she allowed just six hits and one walk. Stewart struck out eight batters, and allowed only a single, unearned run. That run snapped Stewart's streak of consecutive scoreless innings at 49, dating to March 27.
At the plate, six different Falcons had hits in the opener. First baseman Heimrich had 13 putouts while catcher Abby Habicht had 14 for the Brown and Orange.
In the second game, Vrabel again drew the start, and gave up a two-out first-inning triple to her counterpart, WMU starting pitcher Voss. But, on the play, Voss overslid the bag at third, and Rango applied the tag for the third out of the inning.
BGSU responded by getting a run in the bottom of the first. Freshman Jeanine Baca drew a walk, and Lindsay Heimrich laid down a bunt, beating out the throw for a hit. Then, Rango singled up the middle to load the bases with none out. Voss got a Kernahan fly ball to left, but Baca was able to tag and score the game's first run on the sac fly. BG could not score again in the inning, as Voss got a fielder's choice grounder and a popup.
The Broncos responded with three runs in the second inning. Fleming drew a leadoff base on balls, and Strange beat out a one-out bunt, with pinch-runner Dayna Crawford taking second. Vrabel got a Scheumann fly ball for the second out, but Corey Andrzejewski's infield single loaded the bases. And, all three runners came home when Niemi hit a double that fell just beyond the reach of lunging leftfielder Kari Steigerwald and bounded into foul territory. That ended Vrabel's scoreless streak at 14 innings.
The Brown and Orange got a run back in the third, beginning with a one-out Heimrich single. Rango followed with a single, but Heimrich was then thrown out at third as BG attempted to execute a double steal. Rango, who took second on the play, easily scored when Kernahan ripped a double off the top of the wall in left-center.
Falcon coach Leigh Ross-Shaw, having seen her ace pitcher throw 15 innings, brought in senior Jody Johnson to relieve Vrabel to start the fourth, and Johnson proceeded to strike out the side.
Johnson again set the Broncos down in order in the top of the fifth, and the Falcons tied the game in the bottom of the frame. Baca hit a ball into the left-field corner for her first career triple, and scored on a Voss wild pitch.
The Falcons had a chance to take the lead in the sixth, as Anderson led off with a single and Abby Habicht bunted pinch-runner Marla Murphy to second. Then, Steigerwald hit a shot up the middle, but Voss successfully stabbed it and threw her out, with Murphy forced to hold second. Pinch-hitter Ashley Zirkle then hit a liner off of the leg of Voss, but the Bronco pitcher was able to scramble after the ball and retire Zirkle to end the inning. With that play, however, came the end of the day for Voss.
Johnson continued to mow down the Broncos, retiring the side in order in the seventh with some help from Kernahan. The Falcon shortstop ranged onto the grass behind second for an over-the-shoulder catch to begin the inning, then went the other way, diving to her right to grab a line drive off the bat of Andrzejewski to end the inning.
Johnson pitched over four perfect innings, retiring the first 13 batters she faced before McCloskey reached on a one-out error in the eighth. But, the Falcon senior responded by getting a grounder and a strikeout.
Stewart was putting up zeroes as well, and retired the Falcons in the order in the eighth before striking out the side in the ninth.
Johnson pitched five and two-thirds innings of no-hit ball before Strange hit a soft liner into left for a ninth-inning single with two outs. Johnson responded by getting Schheumann to hit a foul pop for the third out.
The teams battled to the 12th once again, and the international tiebreaker again came into play. This time, the Broncos pushed a run across the plate.
Gorny began the inning on second, and Strange led off with a bunt toward third. Rango's throw to first hit Strange in the back, and the ball caromed into shallow rightfield as Gorny came around to score the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the inning, a Falcon bunt attempt led to a popup for the first out. Then, Finkel hit a grounder to third for the second out. On the play, BG freshman Maggie Tudor made a break for third and was retired to end the contest. That play came at 7:52 p.m.
Stewart picked up the win for the Broncos, throwing six innings of one-hit, shutout ball. She struck out six Falcons without walking a batter.
The phrase 'hard-luck loser' is used quite a bit, but never was it more apt than in the case of Johnson. The Falcon senior threw nine innings of relief, allowing only an unearned run and two hits. Johnson entered the game having walked 45 hitters in 66 innings on the season, but did not issue a free pass on Friday. She tied her season high with nine strikeouts.
At the plate, both Heimrich and Rango had two hits for the Falcons, who held an 8-6 advantage in that department. Strange and Andrzejewski had a pair of hits each for the Broncos, while Niemi had three RBI. Baca scored two runs, while Kernahan had a pair of RBI for the Falcons.
The teams, after playing the equivalent of nearly three-and-a-half games on Friday, will return to the BGSU Softball Field for a single game Saturday (scheduled for seven innings in length), beginning at 1:00 p.m.
NOTES
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