Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Eagles Down Falcons, 2-0
April 17, 2005 | Softball
April 17, 2005
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - A trio of errors and a solid pitching performance were enough to lift Eastern Michigan University past the Bowling Green State University softball team, 2-0, Sunday afternoon (April 17). The win enabled the visiting Eagles to avoid being swept in the teams' three-game Mid-American Conference weekend series at the BGSU Softball Field.
With the win, Eastern improves to 11-15 overall and 7-7 in MAC play, while the Falcons drop to 22-22 and 8-6, respectively.
The Eagles took advantage of three BGSU errors, as both of the game's runs were unearned. Pitcher Nikki Denman notched her first victory of the year with a three-hit shutout.
The Falcons' pitching was just as solid, as freshman Emily Gouge allowed only two hits in five innings, and junior Liz Vrabel threw two hitless innings of relief.
The Falcons did not help their own cause by leaving 10 runners on base in the game, including five over the first two innings.
The Eagles got an early baserunner, as Lauren Clark led off the game with a single to centerfield against Gouge. Ashley Strauss moved Clark to second with a sacrifice bunt, and the runner took third on a groundout. But, Gouge got cleanup hitter Liz Flack to swing and miss at a third strike to leave Clark at third.
The Falcons missed an opportunity to score in the bottom of the first. BGSU loaded the bases with one out, after an infield hit by sophomore Megan McPherson and back-to-back walks to sophomore Jeanine Baca and junior Gina Rango. But, Denman got a pair of strikeouts to leave those runners stranded. BGSU left two more runners on base in the second, as Denman got a two-out grounder back to the circle for the final out.
Eastern got on the board via two BG errors in the fourth. Flack hit a long fly ball to left-center and reached second base after the ball bounced out of the fielder's glove, then alertly took third on another Falcon error before the play was finished. The next batter, Denman, brought her home with a sacrifice fly to right.
In the Falcon fourth, two more hitters reached base with two outs, as freshman D.J. DeLong drew a walk and junior Abby Habicht reached on an error. But, Denman got another grounder back to the circle to escape the jam.
The Eagles had only one hit through five innings, but Clark led off the sixth with the definition of a bad-hop grounder that took a wicked bounce and hit second baseman McPherson in the shoulder. It was Clark's -- and the team's -- second hit of the afternoon.
The next batter, Strauss, laid down a bunt, and both runners were safe when the Falcons attempted to force Clark at second. The runner beat the throw, and the Eagles had a pair aboard with none out.
Vrabel replaced Gouge in the circle, and Lindsay Schmid greeted her with a bunt attempt. The Falcons fielded the ball, but a low throw to first resulted in everyone reaching safely, with Clark crossing the plate to double the lead.
Yet another bunt attempt, this time off the bat of Flack, rolled toward the circle, but Vrabel fielded the ball and threw home to cut down Strauss as Habicht applied the tag at the plate. Then, leftfielder DeLong speared Denman's liner to left, and Vrabel got Lauren Allen to fly out to right to end the inning.
Denman retired the Falcons in order in the sixth, and the Eagles had something brewing in the seventh. Katie Grens drew a walk, and with one out and the count 3-1 on Heather Giroux, Vrabel threw a strike, but the first-base umpire called an illegal pitch, putting Giroux aboard and sending pinch-runner Stephanie Sabo to second. But, Vrabel battled back, getting a popup to the circle and a strikeout to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Denman got the first two outs on a pair of infield grounders, but then issued back-to-back walks to junior Lindsay Heimrich and Baca, bringing Rango to the plate. Denman, however, induced Rango to hit a chopper to the left side of second base, and shortstop Clark was able to grab the ball and step on second for a game-ending force play.
At the plate, sophomore Angie Ortiz had two of BGSU's three hits, with classmate McPherson picking up the other Falcon hit. Rango drew a walk, but went 0-for-3 to see her 20-game hitting streak come to an end. That streak is believed to be a school record. Clark had both of EMU's hits in the game.
Gouge, for the second consecutive outing, pitched wall enough to win. The freshman did not allow an earned run, and gave up just two hits -- one of which was the bad-hop single in the sixth -- in the game. She did not walk a batter and struck out three, but saw her record drop to 5-4.
Vrabel threw two innings, with two walks and a strikeout. She did not allow a hit in her relief stint.
Denman improved to 1-4 on the year, overcoming six walks in the game. She allowed just three hits and struck out six. Denman has seven wins in the circle since the start of the 2004 season, with three of those seven coming against the Falcons.
The Falcons return to action Wednesday (April 20), heading to Kalamazoo for a midweek doubleheader vs. Western Michigan University.
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