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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
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Falcons Take Two From Titans, 4-3 and 6-3
March 29, 2005 | Softball
March 29, 2005
Bowling Green 4, Detroit 3 (9 inn.) - Final Stats
Bowling Green 6, Detroit 3 - Final Stats
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University softball team pounded out a total of 23 hits en route to a doubleheader sweep of the University of Detroit Mercy Tuesday afternoon (March 29). The Falcons went nine innings to defeat the Titans in the opener, 4-3, before winning a 6-3 decision in the nightcap at the BGSU Softball Field.
With the wins, the Falcons improve to 10-16 on the season, and BGSU has won three consecutive games. The Titans drop to 4-9 on the year.
Freshman Allison Vallas keyed the Falcons' attack, reaching base in seven of her eight plate appearances on the day. Vallas went 4-for-5, with two doubles, two runs scored and four runs batted in. The Perrysburg, Ohio, native also drew three walks.
In the opener, the Falcons twice rallied back from deficits, and never led until sophomore Jeanine Baca's game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth.
Detroit got on the board early in the first game, scoring a pair of unearned runs off senior Kristen Anderson. Sarah Dickey began the game by reaching safely on a BGSU error, and Michelle Baggio bunted her to second. Then, back-to-back singles by Kristin Martin and Katrina Klemp brought Dickey around to score. One out later, Kaleigh Rafter picked up the Titans' third single of the inning, scoring Martin. But, after getting those three hits in the first frame, the Titans would total only three more hits in the remaining eight innings.
The Falcons threatened to score against UDM starter Adrienne Baran in several occasions in the early going, getting at least one runner on base in each of the first four innings. The Falcons were victims of some bad luck in the third.
With two outs, sophomore Megan McPherson reached on a two-out error, and promptly stole second, her first of three steals on the day. Junior Gina Rango, who was 3-for-3 in the opener, beat out a grounder to shortstop, with McPherson taking third.
On the play, however, UDM first baseman Klemp threw to third in an attempt to gun down McPherson, who had rounded the bag. UDM third baseman Jessie Kish did not see the throw coming, but the throw hit McPherson in the back. McPherson, who likely would have scored otherwise, was forced to hold at third. Anderson drew a walk to load the bases, but Baran got a fielder's choice to end the threat.
The Falcons tied the game in the fifth inning, with McPherson again getting things started. The sophomore singled sharply to center with one out, and again stole second. Rango drew a walk on four pitches, and Vallas followed with a line-drive double to left-centerfield, plating both runners.
The game remained tied at 2-2 through regulation, and the teams went to the eighth inning. With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, the Titans began the top of the eighth with a runner, Dickey, placed on second base. Her teammates wasted no time in bringing her home, as a Baggio sac bunt was followed by Martin's sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the inning, however, The Falcons needed even less time to score. McPherson began the inning on second, and Rango laced a leadoff double down the left-field line to tie the score.
In the ninth, junior Liz Vrabel came on in relief of Anderson and proceeded to mow down the Titans in order. After a leadoff bunt attempt was popped up, Vrabel got a pair of strikeouts, one looking and one swinging.
In the bottom of the inning, sophomore Ashley Zirkle's leadoff sac bunt moved classmate Emmy Ramsey to third base. From there, she scored on Baca's line single to right.
BGSU held an 8-6 lead in the hits department, with Rango picking up the lone multi-hit game. McPherson scored two runs, while Vallas had a pair of RBI. Vallas drew three walks in the game, in addition to her two-run double.
Anderson did not get the decision, despite allowing zero earned runs and six hits in eight innings of work. She struck out three Titans and did not walk a batter. Vrabel improved to 6-7 on the year with her perfect inning of relief.
Baran allowed four runs (two earned) and eight hits, walking four and striking out two.
In the second game, it was the Falcons' turn to get on the board early. McPherson got on base with a one-out infield single, and picked up another stolen base. Vallas brought her home with a two-out single up the middle, and Vallas took second base on the throw to the plate. After freshman D.J. DeLong drew a walk, sophomore Angie Ortiz followed with an RBI single to double the lead.]
BG got another run in the third. Vallas doubled, but was forced to hold at second on DeLong's bloop single to shallow centerfield. The next batter, Ortiz, singled to left-center to score Vallas and chase UDM starting pitcher Lisa Ferguson from the game.
In the fourth, the Falcons got going with a leadoff hit by freshman Brecken Libbe. Libbe was erased at second on junior Abby Habicht's fielder's choice, but Habicht moved up to second base on a passed ball. Baca followed with a single to score Habicht with the game's fourth run.
The Falcons had their hitting shoes on in the sixth, with a pair of runs on five hits. All of the damage came with two outs, as McPherson and Rango had back-to-back singles, and Vallas came through with yet another hit, scoring McPherson and sending Rango to third. Pinch-hitter Natalie Armintrout then sent the first pitch she saw to the base of the wall in center for a double, with Rango trotting home easily.
Meanwhile, freshman Emily Gouge cruised through the first six innings, allowing only one hit. But, the Titans had one rally left in them.
Martin and Klemp singled to put runners at the corners, and Anna Ollgaard reached on a BG error, with Martin scoring. One out later, Rafter singled to score Klemp. Then, with two outs, Dickey beat out a slow nubber toward second baseman McPherson, whose barehanded scoop and throw to first was a split-second too late. The infield single scored Ollgaard, bringing the Titans within three runs and bringing the go-ahead run to the plate.
With the bases loaded, however, Gouge got Baggio to lift a lazy fly ball to Rango in leftfield, ending the game.
The Falcons banged out a season-high 15 hits in the game, with all 11 players that made a plate appearance getting at least one hit. Vallas had three hits, scoring two runs and driving in a pair.
McPherson, DeLong and Ortiz each had a pair of hits, with McPherson scoring two runs for the second consecutive game.
In the circle, Gouge picked up her first collegiate victory, allowing two earned runs and five hits in her complete-game outing. She walked just one batter and struck out seven.
Ferguson took the loss, allowing seven hits and three runs before leaving with two outs in the third inning. Ollgaard gave up three runs and eight hits in relief.
The Falcons return to the BGSU Softball Field Wednesday afternoon (March 30), taking on #1 Michigan in a single game beginning at 4:00 p.m.
A FEW FALCON NOTES
