Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
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Weather Cold, But Falcons Red-Hot in Sweep of Titans
March 25, 2006 | Softball
March 25, 2006
BGSU 7, Detroit 1 -- Final Stats
BGSU 7, Detroit 0 -- Final Stats
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The weather may have been on the chilly side, but the Bowling Green State University softball team was red-hot on Saturday afternoon (March 25), opening the home portion of the 2006 season with a pair of wins over the University of Detroit Mercy. The Falcons posted victories by scores of 7-1 and 7-0 in the non-conference doubleheader at the BGSU Softball Field.
With the wins, the Falcons improve to 17-8 on the season, and BGSU has won a season-high seven consecutive games. Detroit drops to 2-10 on the year.
The Falcons pounded out a total of 26 hits in the doubleheader, including a season-high 14 in the second game. BGSU pitchers did not allow an earned run on the day.
All nine players in the BG starting lineup had at least one hit in the opener, while eight of the nine starters hit safely in the nightcap.
Sophomore Allison Vallas led the way for the BG bats, going 6-for-7 on the day. Vallas was a perfect 4-for-4 in the second game, with two runs scored and three RBI.
With the temperature hovering around the 40-degree mark at the BGSU Softball Field, the Titans began the opening game on a successful note. UDM's Sarah Dickey, the game's first batter, doubled over the head of Falcon leftfielder Vallas, but senior Liz Vrabel did not allow the runner to advance any further. Sophomore Dawnjene DeLong led off the bottom of the inning with a hit, but was stranded as well.
In the second inning, however, the Falcons broke on top. With one out, freshman Hayley Wiemer drew a walk against UDM starter Adrienne Baran, and stole second. Then, with two down, senior Abby Habicht ripped a double off the glove of Titan third baseman Kaleigh Rafter and into the left-field corner, with Wiemer scoring easily.
BG pushed two more runs across the plate in the third. Once again, the inning began with a walk, as DeLong worked Baran for a base on balls. Junior Megan McPherson sacrificed her to second, and junior Jeanine Baca followed with a single up the middle to plate DeLong.
The next hitter, senior Gina Rango, reached on a fielder's choice, and Baca was also safe when the throw to second base was dropped for an error. Vallas brought Baca around to score with a single up the middle.
BG added to the lead in the fourth, as Habicht drew a one-out walk, and senior Lindsay Heimrich singled to move pinch-runner Emmy Ramsey to second. With two outs, McPherson's bloop single to center brought Ramsey around to score the game's fourth run.
Detroit broke up Vrabel's shutout bid in the fifth. Michelle Baggio's seeing-eye single through the right side of the BG infield, and Lindsay Roy drew a walk to move Baggio to second. The next hitter, Kari Messina, laid down a bunt, but was safe when the BG throw to first was wide of the bag. Baggio scored on the play.
Vrabel avoided further damage for the Falcons, as Jacqueline Nortman popped up her bunt attempt. Catcher Habicht fielded the foul pop, then threw to first to double up pinch-runner Lisa Harper. Vrabel then struck out Dickey to end the inning.
The Titans threatened again in the sixth, putting a pair of runners aboard with one out, but DeLong ended that threat. The sophomore shortstop went to her knees to field Rafter's grounder near the second-base bag, tagged the bag and -- still on her knees -- threw to first to complete the double play and end the inning.
BG broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth. DeLong singled, and McPherson drew a walk, chasing Baran. Baca greeted reliever Christin Bienenstein with an infield single to load the bases, and Rango unloaded them with a three-run double to left-center, giving the Falcons a 7-1 lead.
Vrabel picked up the win, her ninth of the season, with a complete-game five-hitter. She allowed only one unearned run, walking two hitters and striking out seven.
Baran took the loss, allowing six runs (five earned) and 10 hits in her five innings of work. She walked five batters and fanned two. Bienenstein allowed a run and two hits in her inning in the circle.
At the plate, Baca, DeLong and Vallas had two hits apiece to pace the Falcons' 12-hit attack. DeLong and Baca each scored a pair of runs, while Rango had three RBI. Habicht was 1-for-1 with two walks in the win.
Baggio had two of the Titans' five hits in the game.
In the second game, Detroit threatened early, aided by a pair of BG errors. Dickey led off the game by reaching on an infield error, and promptly stole second. Roy singled sharply to center, with Dickey taking third. Roy moved up a base when the throw bounded away, giving the Titans runners at second and third with no outs. But, sophomore starter Emily Gouge worked out of the jam.
Gouge got Kristin Martin to ground out to third base, with the runners holding. Then, McPherson made a nice over-the-shoulder catch of Katrina Klemp's popup on the outfield grass, and Gouge got Rafter to ground out to end the inning.
Gouge again got out of a jam in the second inning, after two Titans reached on base hits. But, the Falcon soph got a fly ball to left and a grounder to third to end the threat. UDM threatened again in the third, putting runners at second and third, but Gouge again escaped danger, getting a strikeout and another grounder to third. The Titans left two runners on base in each of the first three innings.
In the Falcon half of the third, the BG hitters broke the scoreless tie, and in a big way. The Falcons had seven hits in the inning, scoring four times.
The scoring began when Baca roped a two-out double to the base of the wall in left-center to plate McPherson, who had singled.
The next two hitters, Rango and Vallas, each laced nearly identical singles up the middle, with Baca scoring on the Vallas hit. Freshman Desiree Miller continued the hit parade, with a hard chopper over the head of pitcher Brittney Hire and into centerfield, with Rango beating the throw to the plate for the Falcons' third run.
Wiemer was the next hitter, and she laced a double to left-center, as Vallas easily trotted home.
BGSU added to that lead in the fifth inning, as freshman Wendy Sheehan led off with a sharp single to left, and Vallas worked the count full before blistering a triple into the rightfield corner. One batter later, Wiemer's fielder's choice resulted in another run, as Vallas beat the UDM throw to the plate.
Vallas drove in another run in the sixth, with a single that scored Baca from third to put the Falcons ahead by seven.
That was more than enough for Gouge and reliever Wiemer, who slammed the door on the Titans to preserve the shutout.
Gouge picked up the win to improve to 4-0 on the season. The sophomore scattered five hits in her four innings of action, striking out two Titans without allowing a walk.
Wiemer picked up her third save of the young season, with three innings of one-hit ball. The freshman had one strikeout and did not allow a walk.
Hire took the loss, giving up four runs and nine hits in two-and-two-thirds innings. She walked a pair of batters. Bienenstein threw the final three-and-a-third innings, allowing three runs (two earned) and five hits, walking two and whiffing two.
Vallas, as mentioned, was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and a triple, while Ramsey and Sheehan each went 2-for-2. Baca scored two runs for the second-straight game, and Wiemer drove in a pair of teammates.
For the Titans, Baggio had a pair of hits for the second consecutive contest, while Roy and Bienenstein each had two hits in the second game.
The Falcons take to the road for the next eight games, beginning with a Tuesday (March 28) contest against defending national champion Michigan. That game begins at 4:00 p.m. at UM's Alumni Field.
