Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OHIO STATE
Ohio State Sweeps Falcons
April 27, 2005 | Softball
April 27, 2005
Game 1 Stats -- Ohio State 5, BGSU 0
Game 2 Stats -- Ohio State 9, BGSU 3
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Host Ohio State University put on an impressive hitting display en route to a doubleheader sweep of the Bowling Green State University softball team Wednesday night (April 27). The host Buckeyes downed the Falcons by scores of 5-0 and 9-3 in non-conference action at Buckeye Field.
With the victories, OSU is now 24-14, while BGSU drops to 23-26 on the year. The Buckeyes pounded out a total of 21 hits, including eight doubles, one triple and three homeruns, in the two games.
In the opener, the Buckeyes got on the board in the second inning, as Chelsea Baker roped a double to rightfield, and Jamee Juarez followed with a homerun to straightaway center.
BGSU starter Liz Vrabel, who had gotten an inning-ending strikeout of Ashley Cutcliff to end the first frame, responded with a swinging strikeout of Liz Caputo. In the process, Vrabel, just a junior, became the BG career strikeout leader. Caputo's whiff was strikeout number 506 for the Allison Park, Pa., native.
Stacy Hibma followed with a single, but sophomore Jeanine Baca made a nice running catch of a Nycole Koyano fly ball in right-center to end the inning.
The Buckeyes, who had at least one hit in every inning (including a double in each of the first five innings), threatened again in the third. Karisa Evans led off the inning with a bloop double, and took third on a Brittany Vanderink single. Vanderink stole second, but the Falcons got the first out of the inning when junior catcher Abby Habicht picked Evans off at third. Then, Vrabel got another strikeout of Cutcliff and a grounder from Billie Jo Carder to end the inning. But, BG would not escape the fourth inning unscathed.
In that fourth frame, Baker reached on a blooper to left to begin the inning, and took third when another blooper, this time from Juarez, landed on the dirt just past first base. Vrabel got a strikeout of Caputo, but Hibma laid down a bunt, and all runners were safe as Baker beat the toss to the plate. Koyano followed with a double to score another run and give the Buckeyes a 4-0 lead.
Senior Kristen Anderson relieved Vrabel and pitched a scoreless fifth inning. But, the Bucks added to the lead in the sixth, as Koyano walked, stole second and scored on an Evans base hit.
The five runs were more than enough for Juarez, who faced just four batters over the minimum. She fired a two-hit shutout to improve to 18-10 on the season. Juarez struck out one hitter and did not issue a walk.
Vrabel took the loss to drop to 13-11, allowing four runs (just two earned) and eight hits in four innings of work. She did not walk a batter while striking out five. Anderson allowed a run and two hits in her two-inning stint, walking one.
At the plate, BGSU's only hits were singles to lead off the first two innings. Sophomore Megan McPherson began the game with an infield hit, while Baca started the second with a single up the middle.
Three different Buckeyes had two hits apiece as OSU pounded out 10 hits as a team. Juarez had a homer, two runs scored and two RBI, while Koyano doubled twice. Evans also had two hits in the game.
After going scoreless in the first game, the Falcons got on the board right away in game two. McPherson, for the second-straight game, led off with a single, and stole second with one out. Freshman Allison Vallas singled to move McPherson to third, and a double steal plated a run for the Brown and Orange.
But, the Buckeyes responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Baker, the starting pitcher for game two, helped her own cause with a solo homer off freshman Emily Gouge. Then, Megan Schwab reached base when her popup in shallow left-center landed on the outfield grass. She scored from second on a Juarez base hit to give the hosts the lead.
The game remained 2-1 until Koyano hit a line-drive solo homer to right with one out in the fifth. It marked the first hit allowed by Gouge since the first inning. However, it was the first of five consecutive Buckeye hits to break the game open.
Vanderink and Baker each singled, and Schwab followed with a double to the wall just left of center to score a run. Then, Juarez cleared the bases with a triple over rightfielder Anderson's head, giving the Bucks a 6-1 lead.
BGSU cut into the lead in the top of the sixth. Freshman D.J. DeLong was hit by a Baker pitch to begin the inning, and Baca brought her around with a homer to left. The round-tripper was the sophomore's first of the season, and the sixth of her career.
But, the Buckeyes responded in the bottom of the sixth, in no small part due to several BGSU errors. OSU plated three runs, all unearned, off reliever Anderson to provide the final 9-3 score.
Baker went 3-for-4 to pace an 11-hit Ohio State attack. Koyano, Vanderink and Juarez all had two hits apiece, and four different Buckeyes scored two runs in the game. Juarez had four RBI in the nightcap.
For the Falcons, Baca was 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI, as BG had five hits as a team.
Baker picked up the win, allowing three runs and four hits in six innings. She walked one batter and struck out five in improving to 5-2 on the season. Nicole Gragson pitched a scoreless seventh inning, giving up one hit.
Gouge took the loss to drop to 5-6. The freshman allowed six runs (five earned) and eight hits, walking two batters and whiffing seven in five innings.
The Falcons now return to Mid-American Conference play for the final six games of the regular season. BGSU will host the University at Buffalo in a three-game weekend series, with a Saturday (April 30) doubleheader and a Sunday (May 1) single game. Starting time is 1:00 p.m. each day at the BGSU Softball Field. Then, the Falcons close the regular season with a three-game series at West Division-leading Central Michigan University on May 7-8.
NOTES
