Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Central Michigan Takes Saturday Twinbill, 3-0 and 3-2
May 07, 2005 | Softball
May 7, 2005
Game 1 Stats -- Central Michigan 3, BGSU 0
Game 2 Stats -- Central Michigan 3, BGSU 2 (8 inn.)
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - A two-out error and a late-game comeback added up to a Central Michigan University sweep over the Bowling Green State University softball team in Saturday's (May 7) doubleheader. The Chippewas won a 3-0 opener, then took a 3-2, eight-inning decision in the nightcap of the Mid-American Conference twinbill at the CMU Softball Complex.
With the wins, the Chippewas improve to 26-13 overall and 16-5 in MAC play, and Central clinched the West Division title. The Falcons drop to 26-28 and 11-10, respectively.
In the opener, Falcon junior Liz Vrabel threw a complete-game four-hitter, but a two-out error opened the door for three unearned runs in the sixth inning. BG freshman Emily Gouge allowed just two runs and five hits while pitching over six innings of the second game, but the Chippewas scored a run in the bottom of the seventh before CMU's Christan Dhondt hit a walk-off homer in the eighth.
Falcon pitchers allowed a total of just 10 Central hits in the 15-plus innings on the afternoon. BGSU hitters had a total of 11 hits on the day, but left 15 runners on base in the two games.
In the opening game, the two pitchers hooked up in a battle, with Vrabel and CMU starter Jill DeRoche matching one another with zeroes for the first five-plus innings. The hurlers went about their success in different ways, as Vrabel took a perfect game into the fifth inning, while DeRoche allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in six of the seven innings, but continually worked her way out of trouble.
The Falcons left a pair of runners on base in both the first and third innings. In the first frame, sophomore Megan McPherson led off with a bloop single over the shortstop's head and into shallow leftfield. She stole second, and junior Gina Rango drew a two-out walk, but DeRoche got an inning-ending strikeout.
In the third, the Falcons again put two runners aboard. Soph Kari Steigerwald was hit by a DeRoche pitch, and took second on McPherson's sacrifice bunt. Junior Lindsay Heimrich singled through the left side of the infield to put runners at the corners with one out, but DeRoche again rose to the occasion. She got a strikeout for the second out, and Rango's hard grounder was right at first baseman Dhondt.
In the fifth, junior Abby Habicht led off with a single, and took second base when the ball got past CMU rightfielder Jacque Benedict. DeRoche responded with a strikeout for the first out, then got McPherson to hit a hard one-hopper back to the circle. Pinch-runner Emmy Ramsey, however, broke for third on DeRoche's throw to first base, and Ramsey was safe to put a runner at third base with two outs. But, DeRoche got another infield grounder to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Vrabel took her bid for a perfect game into the fifth inning, retiring the first 14 hitters she faced. Christin Sobeck finally got Central a baserunner with a single. Rightfielder Allison Vallas nearly made a diving catch in shallow right, but just couldn't quite come up with the ball. But, Vrabel responded by getting a strikeout of Brittany Decker.
In the BG sixth, the first out came on a strange play. Vallas was safe on an infield error as the CMU throw trickled away from first baseman Dhondt. But, Vallas rounded the bag, and catcher Lindsey Calme, alertly backing up the play, grabbed the ball and tagged Vallas as she made a dive back toward the bag. Rango, the next hitter, got as far as third base that inning, after walking and moving up on a wild pitch and a grounder to the right side, but DeRoche got a strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
Central broke that scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth, with three unearned runs. All of the damage came with two outs, as leadoff hitter Karen Hohs beat out a slow grounder to shortstop. Then, Benedict singled up the middle, just past the glove of diving second baseman McPherson.
The next hitter, Dhondt, hit a fly ball to deep centerfield. Sophomore Jeanine Baca retreated to the warning track, and seemed to have a bead on the ball, but it landed behind her as both runners, running all the way, came around to score.
The Falcons intentionally walked Amy Hudson, CMU's top hitter, but Calme came through with a single up the middle to plate a third run.
DeRoche hit D.J. DeLong with a pitch to start the seventh, but then got a double-play grounder and another ground ball to clinch the win.
DeRoche allowed just three hits and two walks in the complete-game win, striking out six batters. Vrabel, as has been the case on multiple occasions in 2005, deserved a better fate, but took the loss. She allowed only four hits and no earned runs in her six innings. The junior walked only one batter - the intentional pass to Hudson - and had nine strikeouts.
In the second game, the Brown and Orange got the first two runners aboard in the second inning. Rango beat out an infield grounder for a leadoff single off CMU starter Jessica Garvin. Then, Baca executed a sacrifice bunt, and was safe on a Central throwing error to put runners at the corners.
Baca was caught stealing for the first out of the inning, but a grounder by sophomore Angie Ortiz enabled Rango to score. Second baseman Hohs fielded the ground ball, and ran toward Ortiz along the first-base line. Rango broke for the plate, and slid home safely ahead of the throw, and the Falcons were on the scoreboard.
The Chippewas tied the score in the bottom of the second, on a one-out solo homerun to left by Calme. Sobeck followed with a double, but Gouge retired the next two batters without further damage.
The teams combined for just three singles over the next three innings. In the top of the sixth, though, the Falcons got the first two runners on base. Vallas began the inning by reaching on a hard grounder off the glove of third baseman Hudson. Rango followed with a sharp single through the left side of the CMU infield. But, Garvin got three consecutive ground balls that resulted in three consecutive force plays.
Gouge retired the Chippewas in order in the home half of the sixth, and the Falcons took the lead in the top of the seventh. BGSU scored a run that inning, but squandered a chance for a big inning as the Chippewas got out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam.
BGSU bunted twice to begin that seventh frame. Habicht led off with a bunt single, and Ramsey pushed a bunt past charging third baseman Hudson, with pinch-runner Steigerwald taking second. Then, McPherson squared to bunt, but was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
The next hitter, Heimrich, worked Garvin for a walk, forcing Steigerwald home, giving the Falcons the lead and prompting the Chippewas to replace Garvin with DeRoche in the circle.
DeRoche proceeded to get out of the inning, though, beginning by getting a grounder that Hudson converted into an unassisted double play at third base, tagging the runner heading home before stepping on the bag. Then, DeRoche got an inning-ending strikeout.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Chippewas tied the score to force extra innings. Hudson began the frame by beating a grounder to deep short. Calme moved her to second with a sac bunt, and Sobeck's double to the wall in left-center scored pinch-runner Katie Horvath to tie the contest. The potential winning run was at second with just one out.
Vrabel replaced Gouge in the circle, and struck out pinch-hitter Angie Hunter for the second out. The Falcons then intentionally walked Stephanie Crews to set up a force play, and Vrabel whiffed Brittany Fulks to end the inning.
DeRoche retired the Falcons in the eighth, allowing only a two-out walk, before Dhondt ended the game with her two-out homer to centerfield in the bottom of the inning.
DeRoche picked up her second win of the day with two innings of scoreless, no-hit relief. She walked one batter and struck out one to improve to 13-2 on the season. Garvin, the starter, allowed two runs (one earned) and eight hits in six innings, with one walk and three strikeouts.
Gouge allowed just two runs and five hits before leaving with one out in the seventh. The freshman had three strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Vrabel allowed one hit and one walk - another intentional pass - while striking out three hitters in her inning-and-a-third of work.
On the day, Vrabel threw seven-and-a-third innings, allowing just one earned run and five hits, but was tagged with both losses. Her only two walks on the day were intentional, and she had 12 strikeouts.
At the plate, both McPherson and Rango had two-hit games, while Hudson and Sobeck each had multi-hit contests for the hosts.
The Falcons and Chippewas will return to the CMU Softball Complex for a single game Sunday (May 8) to close the regular season. Then, BGSU and CMU will join six other schools for the MAC Tournament in Akron, Ohio. The eight-team, double-elimination tourney begins Wednesday (May 11) at Firestone Stadium.
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