.png&type=webp)
Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
TOLEDO
Falcons Split with Toledo to Open Home, MAC Schedules
March 27, 2005 | Softball
March 27, 2005
Game 1 stats - Toledo 2, Bowling Green 1
Game 2 stats - Bowling Green 6, Toledo 2
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University softball team pounded out a season-high 11 hits en route to a 6-2 win over the University of Toledo Sunday afternoon (March 27), giving the teams a split of their Mid-American Conference doubleheader at the BGSU Softball Field. The visiting Rockets had captured the first game by a 2-1 score.
The Falcons are now 8-16 on the season, and 1-1 in MAC play. UT is 15-13 and 1-3, respectively.
Junior Liz Vrabel threw a pair of complete games, allowing a total of only eight hits in the 14 innings. Classmate Gina Rango was 3-for-3 in the nightcap, with a line-drive, two-run homerun in her final at-bat of the day. That homer was the 15th of her career, setting a new school record.
All four of the Rockets' runs on the day came via solo homers, with Leslie Stong hitting one in each game. Jennifer Susman homered for the Rockets in the opener, while Valerie Moxim hit a homer in the second game.
In addition to Rango's game-two homer for the Falcons, freshman Allison Vallas had the first round-tripper of her career in the first game.
All three of the runs in the opener came via solo shots. Stong's first homer of the day came with two outs in the fifth. Vallas answered with a two-out shot of her own in the home half of the sixth, but Susman's leadoff round-tripper in the seventh proved to be the game-winner.
The two starting pitchers, Vrabel and UT's Stephanie Moore, combined to allow only four hits through the first four innings, with the Falcons collecting three of those hits. The Brown and Orange got a pair of runners on base in the second, as junior Lindsay Heimrich's bloop single just over the second-base bag gave the Falcons a one-out baserunner, and freshman D.J. DeLong was hit by a pitch with two down. But, Moore induced the next batter to hit an inning-ending popup.
The Rockets threatened in the third inning, as Brittany Robbins was hit by a pitch, and Denise Van Vossen's bunt resulted in a fielder's choice, with both runners advancing safely as Robbins beat the BG fielders to second. But, Vrabel got Kris Shultz to foul out down the left-field line, and struck out Gina Muratori to end the threat.
In the bottom of the third, sophomore Jeanine Baca drew a one-out walk, and classmate Megan McPherson followed with a single up the middle. The runners each took an extra base when the hit skipped away from the Rocket centerfielder. But, Moore got an infield popup and a fly ball, and the game remained scoreless.
Heimrich laced a double of the glove of leaping UT leftfielder Moxim to start the bottom of the fourth, but a fielder's choice erased pinch-runner Kari Steigerwald at third base.
Stong's homer then opened the scoring in the fifth. After the Vallas homer tied the score in the sixth, DeLong was hit by a pitch and stole second, but an infield popup ended the inning.
Susman's homer gave UT the lead once again in the seventh, and Moore made that lead stand up. She allowed a pinch-hit single by Ashley Zirkle with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but got a foul pop down the third-base line to end the game.
Moore went all the way for a five-hitter, walking two batters and striking out four. Vrabel allowed only three hits in her complete-game effort, with one walk and nine strikeouts. At the plate, Susman was 2-for-2 for the Rockets, while Heimrich had two of BG's hits in three at-bats.
The second game started well for the Rockets, as Stong, the first batter, hit a 1-2 Vrabel offering over the fence in center, just to the right of the scoreboard. But, BGSU would rally in the bottom of the inning.
Baca led off with a double to left-center, and took third on a wild pitch by UT's Kim Pettitt. One out later, Rango had a lengthy at-bat, hitting three long foul balls into the BGSU batting-cage area down the left-field line. Then, the junior hit a sharp single through the left side of the infield as Baca trotted home.
The Falcons threatened to take the lead in that inning, as Rango stole second and senior Kristen Anderson was hit by a pitch. But, Heimrich's sinking liner was caught by UT centerfielder Erica Singer, who threw to second to double up Rango and end the inning.
Moxim's homer gave UT a 2-1 lead in the top of the second, and Robbins followed with a two-out single. But, Vrabel struck out Van Vossen, beginning a stretch of 12-consecutive batters retired by the BG junior. UT would get only two hits over the final five innings.
BG evened the game once again, with a run in the third. Steigerwald led off with a walk, and took second on Baca's sacrifice bunt. Pettitt got a foul pop for the first out, but Rango drew a walk, and Anderson singled to left to plate Steigerwald. The Falcons had a chance to take the lead, as Heimrich walked to load the bases, but a groundout stopped the rally.
While retiring 12 Rockets in a row, Vrabel had some help from her fielders. Anderson made a diving catch of a soft liner by Susman to end the fourth, then Steigerwald went all the way back to the left-field wall to track down a scorching liner by Robbins in the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Falcons used some two-out hitting to take the lead for the first time all day. Rango beat out a bunt single on the first pitch of the inning, then took second when the throw to first skipped into foul territory. Pettitt got a strikeout and a grounder to the right side, with Rango taking third on the groundout. With two outs, however, Vallas laced a pitch off the wall in centerfield for a long RBI single.
The next batter, sophomore Angie Ortiz, singled to move Vallas to second, and DeLong's pinch-hit single scored Vallas to put the Brown and Orange ahead by a 4-2 count.
The Rockets put runners on first and second with two outs in the sixth, af Muratori blooped a single down the left-field line and Singer drew a walk. But, Vrabel threw a called third strike past Pettitt to end that threat.
In the BG half of the sixth, the Falcons added some insurance. McPherson singled with one out, then stole second before Rango lined a pitch over the left-field wall.
Moxim walked in the top of the seventh, and pinch-hitter Lindsay Greer doubled with two outs. But, with runners on second and third, Vrabel got Stong to hit a fly ball to Steigerwald in left.
Vrabel got the win with five-hit ball, improving to 5-7 on the year. She surrendered two walks while striking out six. Pettitt took the loss, allowing six runs and 11 hits. She walked three and struck out three.
Rango was 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and three R BI in the second game, while Ortiz was 2-for-3.
The Falcons return to the diamond for a Tuesday (March 29) doubleheader against Detroit. Then, the next day, BGSU will take on the #1 team in the nation, Michigan. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. each day at the BGSU Softball Field.
NOTES
