Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
MIAMI (OH)
Johnson Throws Another Shutout, Falcons Beat Miami, 1-0
May 16, 2004 | Softball
May 16, 2004
AKRON, Ohio - Bowling Green State University softball senior Jody Johnson threw a two-hit shutout to lead the Falcons to a 1-0 victory over Miami University on championship day at the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The win forced a second championship game at Firestone Stadium Sunday afternoon (May 16).
With the victory, the Falcons improve to 33-28 on the season, while Miami drops to 25-25-1. Each team now has one loss in the six-team, double-elimination tournament.
The RedHawks' first hitter of the game, Jamie Carey, reached by beating out a soft grounder. Johnson got a glove on it, but could not grab it cleanly, and Carey beat third baseman Gina Rango's throw to first.
But, Rango cut down Carey on Jackie Poggendorf's sacrifice bunt attempt, and Johnson got Bianca Paz to fly out to freshman Emmy Ramsey in left. Then, first baseman Lindsay Heimrich fielded Becca Garcia's grounder and made the play herself to end the inning.
MU starter Poggendorf set down the Falcons in order in the bottom of the first, and the RedHawks again put the leadoff runner aboard in the second, as Kristen Hays drew a walk. But, Jacque Molinaro popped up her bunt attempt, and Heimrich grabbed the ball in the air and threw to Megan McPherson covering first base for a double play. Then, Johnson threw a third strike past Chelsie McWhorter for the third out.
The Falcons got a hit off the bat of senior Jenifer Kernahan with two down in the second, but Poggendorf got out of the inning. In the third, however, the Falcon offense mounted its first serious threat.
A quartet of freshmen combined to provide the game's first run. Kari Steigerwald led off with a sharp single to center, and took second when McPherson's nifty sac bunt dropped right in front of the plate. Then, Jeanine Baca reached on a bloop single to right. Steigerwald, who had to wait to make sure the ball would drop, then advanced to third on the play.
She would score on a safety squeeze by Ramsey. Steigerwald broke for home when the RedHawks threw to first on Ramsey's bunt attempt, and was safe on a close play at the plate.
The RedHawks looked to respond in the top of the fourth, as Paz drew a one-out walk and promptly stole second. But, with Paz off with the pitch, Garcia hit a screaming liner to left. Ramsey charged in to grab it, then lobbed the ball to McPherson to double up the runner and end the inning.
Miami gave the Falcons a taste of their own medicine in the bottom of the inning. Rango led off the inning with a single up the middle, but first baseman Molinaro made an impressive diving catch of junior Kristen Anderson's bunt attempt, then threw to first to catch Rango.
Johnson got the first two outs in the fifth inning, but ran a 2-2 pitch inside to McWhorter, hitting her on the hand. Then, Allison Maxey drew a walk, but Johnson got pinch-hitter Sarah Buffie to ground out to short.
In the RedHawk sixth, the speedy Carey led off with a bunt single toward third base, and Poggendorf drew a walk to put two runners on base for Paz, the third hitter in the Miami batting order. Paz unsuccessfully tried to bunt each of the first two Johnson pitches, then swung and missed the next offering for the first out.
Then, Johnson got another strikeout, this time getting cleanup hitter Garcia to swing and miss, before Hays grounded to Rango at third for the final out of the inning.
After a leadoff hit by Ramsey, Poggendorf set the Falcons down to send the game to the seventh inning. On the second pitch of that inning, Molinaro's liner was right at first baseman Heimrich, for the first out. McWhorter worked Johnson to a full count, before hitting a bouncer that Heimrich fielded a few steps away from the bag, for out number two.
Maxey, the RedHawk's final hope, hit a sinking liner down the right-field line, but Steigerwald made a diving catch to end the contest and force a second game.
Johnson improved to 14-9 with her third shutout win of the tournament. She allowed only two hits, both bunts, walking four hitters and striking out five.
Poggendorf gave up only five hits and the one run, but fell to 13-8. She had one strikeout and did not walk a batter.
Carey had both Miami hits, while five different players had one hit apiece.
The win forced a second championship game, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
