Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
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WESTERN MICHIGAN
Broncos Take Two From Falcons, 3-2 and 3-1
April 20, 2005 | Softball
April 20, 2005
Game 1 Stats - Western Michigan 3, BGSU 2
Game 2 Stats - Western Michigan 3, BGSU 1
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Host Western Michigan University swept a doubleheader from the Bowling Green State University softball team Wednesday afternoon (April 20), 3-2 and 3-1. The Mid-American Conference twinbill was held at Ebert Field.
With the wins, the Broncos improve to 14-20 overall and 9-6 in the MAC, and Western moves past the Falcons into second place in the league's West Division. BG drops to 22-24 and 8-8, respectively.
In the opener, Falcon starter Liz Vrabel set the Broncos down in order in the first, but the hosts mounted a second-inning rally. Amanda Heckaman drew a leadoff walk, and two bunts proceeded to load the bases. First, Danielle Daughtry attempted a sacrifice, and pinch-runner Corey Andrzejewski was safe at second ahead of the BG throw.
The next hitter, Amy Fleming, also bunted, and was safe at first when the ball got past the Falcon fielders on the right side of the infield. Then, Molly Mroczek reached on a Falcon infield error, with Andrzejewski crossing the plate with the game's first run. There still were no outs.
Vrabel, however, battled back to prevent the Broncos from putting together a big inning. After a 10-pitch battle with Becky Bartosz, she got the Bronco catcher to fly out to leftfielder Kari Steigerwald for the first out of the inning, then got strikeouts of Connie Kolokithas and Katie Niemi to prevent any further damage.
The Broncos extended the lead, putting together a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth. After Mroczek singled up the middle with one out, she was forced on a Bartosz bunt for the second out of the inning. But, Kolokithas placed a blooper just inside the left-field line on the outfield grass. Niemi then doubled to plate both runners and give the hosts a three-run lead.
Falcon second baseman Megan McPherson made a nice diving stop of a Tricia VanDerSlik one-hopper that seemed ticketed for rightfield, and threw to Lindsay Heimrich at first to end the inning.
Meanwhile, VanDerSlik held the Falcons to just two hits through the first four innings, but sophomore Angie Ortiz and senior Kristen Anderson led off the fifth with back-to-back singles. VanDerSlik got a fly ball for the first out, and a ground ball to the right side produced the second out, with the runners taking second and third.
McPherson, however, came through with a line single off the edge of the glove of shortstop Daughtry, as Ortiz scored the Falcons' first run of the day.
Then, with runners at the corners, McPherson stole second, and continued to third as the throw trickled away. Anderson trotted home on the play. With McPherson at third, however, VanDerSlik got a strikeout to end the inning.
In the sixth, the Falcons again put the first two runners aboard, as sophomore Jeanine Baca led off with a double to right-center, and junior Gina Rango's hard single through the left side put Falcons at first and third. Soph Allison Vallas then hit a liner, but Western leftfielder Kristi Strange was able to spear the ball for the first out.
With Ortiz at the plate, Rango stole second. Ortiz hit a soft liner that fell right in front of second baseman Mroczek. But, Mroczek was able to recover in time to throw home and gun down Baca trying to score for the second out. Anderson drew a walk to load the bases. But, VanDerSlik got an inning-ending grounder to keep the Broncos in the lead.
In the top of the seventh, Steigerwald led off with a fly ball to left, but Strange, playing in, was able to retreat and make the catch. BG did get a runner aboard, on Heimrich's two-out single, but could advance her no further.
The Falcons took the loss despite outhitting the hosts, 8-5. McPherson was 2-for-4 at the plate, the lone player on either team with a multi-hit game.
VanDerSlik got the win, allowing one earned run and eight hits. She walked one batter and struck out five. Vrabel took the loss for the Falcons, surrendering three runs and five hits. She walked one and whiffed six.
In the second game, the Falcons scored early, but not often. The second contest began at 4:37 p.m. By 4:39 p.m., the Falcons were on the board. With one out, Heimrich singled off WMU starting pitcher Kyla Sullivan, and Vallas quickly followed with a double to the leftfield wall, with Heimrich coming all the way around to score.
The game remained 1-0 until the home half of the third, when Niemi and VanDerSlik touched freshman Emily Gouge for back-to-back doubles to tie the score.
The Broncos took a fifth-inning lead, as Mroczek led off with a single, and Bartosz roped a double to left-center to score pinch-runner Andrzejewski. Bartosz took third base on a sac bunt, and scored on Niemi's bloop single to shallow right for a 3-1 lead, and the Broncos never let the Falcons get any closer.
At the plate, Niemi went 3-for-3 to pace Western's seven-hit attack. Vallas had a pair of hits, including a double, as BG had four hits as a team.
Sullivan got the win for the hosts, allowing a run on four hits. She issued three walks and struck out three batters. Gouge took the loss, giving up three runs and seven hits. She did not walk a hitter, and whiffed three Broncos.
In Gouge's last three starts, the Falcon offense has had a total of only one run and 10 hits.
The Falcons play a single non-conference game at Marshall University on Friday (April 22), before facing Ohio University in a Saturday (April 23) twinbill in Athens.
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