Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Kent State
Falcons Advance in MAC Tournament with 6-0 Win Over Kent State
May 14, 2004 | Softball
May 14, 2004
AKRON, Ohio - For the second-straight time on Friday (May 14), the Bowling Green State University softball team took the field against a Mid-American Conference division winner, needing to win or go home. And, for the second-straight game, senior Jody Johnson threw a shutout to lead the Falcons to a MAC Tournament victory. On Friday evening, the victim was Kent State University, as BGSU posted a 6-0 win at Firestone Stadium.
With the victory, the Falcons improve to 31-28 on the season and 2-1 in the six-seed, double-elimination tourney. Sixth-seeded BGSU advances to face the third seed, Western Michigan, on Saturday (May 15) at 11:00 a.m. Kent State, the MAC's East Division champion and the second seed for the tournament, finishes the year with a record of 27-20.
The Golden Flashes got off to a good start, as Marci Ridenbaugh led off the bottom of the first with a double down the left-field line, the first extra-base hit allowed by Johnson in the tournament. But, Ridenbaugh was stranded there, as the Falcon senior got a strikeout, an infield popup and a grounder back to the circle.
In the second, sophomore Gina Rango led off with a bloop single that landed just past the infield dirt. She took second on junior Kristen Anderson's grounder to the right side, but could advance no further. KSU starter Brittney Robinson got senior Jenifer Kernahan to hit a soft liner that shortstop Ridenbaugh caught just above the ground. Then, sophomore Abby Habicht hit a grounder that, for a brief moment, seemed ticketed for centerfield. But, Ridenbaugh was able to get to the ball, set and fire to first to retire the side.
In the Falcon third, a pair of freshmen at the bottom of the batting order each reached base, and another frosh helped plate the game's first run. Kari Steigerwald led off the inning with a liner to left that dropped for a single. KSU leftfielder Rachel Testa nearly made a sliding catch, but could not hold on to the ball. Then, Megan McPherson laid down a sacrifice bunt, and reached base herself when catcher Carrie Eneix threw wide of first base. On the play, Steigerwald advanced all the way to third.
Steigerwald would score when the next batter, Jeanine Baca, also bunted. Baca was out at first, but Steigerwald, who broke for home on the throw to first, was safe on a close play. McPherson, who took third on that play, was forced to hold on a bunt by Emmy Ramsey, yet another freshman. On that infield single, Ramsey continued on to second as the Golden Flashes did not risk a throw that might have sent McPherson streaking toward the plate.
KSU got the second out at the plate, however, on Lindsay Heimrich's grounder to second baseman Ashley Ball. Ball threw home to get McPherson on the fielder's choice, with Heimrich taking second and Ramsey third on the play.
Then, the Golden Flashes intentionally walked Rango, who was 4-for-4 on the day (3-for-3 vs. Central Michigan in the Falcons' first game), to load the bases for Anderson. Anderson made Kent State pay when she hit an opposite-field triple that landed just inside the right-field line, clearing the bases. Anderson's first career three-base hit gave the Brown and Orange a four-run inning and a 4-0 lead.
 Freshman Megan McPherson, shown here in an early April game, went 2-for-2 vs. KSU and 3-for-3 on Friday  |
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The Flashes put a runner in scoring position in the fifth, as Megan Verde hit a one-out a double to left. Ball hit a soft liner right at Johnson for the second out, but Ridenbaugh drew a walk. Then, Kelly Maehl hit a popup to Kernahan at short to end the threat.
In the top of the sixth, Anderson led off by hitting a grounder deep in the hole at short and beating the throw. Kernahan's sac bunt sent pinch-runner Marla Murphy to second, and the fourth-year junior alertly tagged and took third on Habicht's foul pop near the first-base dugout.
Steigerwald then worked KSU reliever Kate Leary for a two-out walk, and McPherson's bloop single to left scored Murphy with the Falcons' fifth run.
The Falcons put more runners on base against Leary in the seventh. Ramsey led off with a sharp single to left, and Heimrich sacrificed her to second. Then, Rango walked on four pitches, and Anderson also drew a free pass to load the bases with one out. Kernahan hit a sharp grounder that KSU first baseman Verde was able to knock down. But, she was forced to make the play herself at first, as Ramsey scored.
Verde singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh for Kent State, and Ridenbaugh hit a liner off Johnson for a hit. The runners took second and third when the throw to first skipped past Heimrich and toward the BG dugout. But, on the next pitch, Maehl popped up to Kernahan to preserve Johnson's shutout and end the game.
 Senior Jody Johnson threw complete-game shutouts against each of the tournament's top-two seeds on Friday |
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Robinson took the loss for the Flashes, falling to 9-7. She allowed four runs (just one earned) and five hits in her four innings of work, walking one batter. Leary gave up two runs, both earned, and surrendered three hits and three walks. BGSU's batters did not strike out in the game.
At the plate, Ramsey, Anderson and McPherson all had two-hit games to lead the Falcons' eight-hit attack. Ramsey scored a pair of runs in the win, while Anderson had three RBI. McPherson, the ninth hitter in the BG batting order, was 2-for-2 with a sac bunt, capping a 3-for-3 Friday.
Ridenbaugh and Verde accounted for all five of the Golden Flashes' hits, with Ridenbaugh going 3-for-3 in the game.
The Falcons, as mentioned, advance to Saturday play to face Western Michigan. That game begins at 11:00 a.m., with the winner moving on to play Miami. The RedHawks downed WMU, 2-0, in Friday's third game to remain undefeated in tourney play. The BGSU-WMU winner will need to beat MU twice to win the tournament.
NOTES
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