Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
SETON HALL
Falcons Top Seton Hall, 7-5, to Begin Weekend on Successful Note
March 10, 2006 | Softball
March 10, 2006
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Bowling Green State University softball team got on the scoreboard early, taking a 4-0 lead and holding on for a 7-5 win over Seton Hall University Friday (March 10). The game, the Falcons' first in the FAU Worth Classic, was played at the FAU Softball Stadium.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 8-5 on the season, while the Pirates drop to 7-10.
Junior Jeanine Baca had two hits and scored a pair of runs for the Falcons, while senior Gina Rango also scored twice. Sophomores Allison Vallas and Dawnjene DeLong each had a pair of runs batted in for the Brown and Orange.
For the Pirates, Katie Pierce had three hits and scored three runs, pacing the Hall's nine-hit attack.
The Falcons got on the board with an unearned run in the first inning. With two outs, Rango singled, stole second and continued on to third on an error by the SHU catcher, and scored on an illegal pitch.
In the third inning, junior Jeanine Baca led off with a single through the right side of the infield, and promptly stole second. One out later, Rango reached on another Pirate error, and Vallas followed with a base hit to left to plate Baca.
The next hitter, Lindsay Heimrich, hit a grounder, and all BG runners were safe on the fielder's choice, loading the bases for sophomore Dawnjene DeLong. DeLong responded with a two-run single, doubling BG's lead to 4-0.
The Hall responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth, on three singles. The Pirates cut BG's lead to 4-2 with another run in the sixth, on a pair of singles sandwiched around a walk. But, BG picked up some insurance runs in the top of the seventh.
Junior Emmy Ramsey began the inning by reaching second on SHU's fourth error of the game, and Baca switched places with her, lacing a double to leftfield. Junior Kari Steigerwald reached on an infield single, sending Baca to third, and Steigerwald then stole second.
Then, with Vallas at the plate, Baca was able to score on yet another error, making it a 6-2 game. It became 7-2 when Steigerwald tagged and scored on Vallas' sacrifice fly.
Those runs proved to be important, as the Pirates -- the Big East Conference's champions in both 2004 and 2005 -- put up a three-spot in the bottom of the inning. With runners at second and third and one out, freshman Hayley Wiemer entered the game and got a pair of strikeouts to lock down the win.
Senior Liz Vrabel picked up the victory in relief, improving to 4-4 on the year. She allowed four runs on six hits in three-and-a-third innings. Wiemer got the save, her second on the young season.
BG's starter, soph Emily Gouge, pitched well, allowing one run on three hits before exiting the game in the fourth. Kim Schweitzer took the loss for SHU, allowing all seven runs - but only two earned - in six-plus innings of work.
BGSU returns to the diamond later Friday to take on Campbell University.
