Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
TOLEDO
Falcons Continue Walk-Off Magic at Home, Down Toledo, 3-2
April 29, 2006 | Softball
April 29, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Senior Gina Rango had a two-run homer and a walk-off single, driving in all three Bowling Green State University runs as the Falcon softball team posted a 3-2 win over the University of Toledo Saturday afternoon (April 29). The Mid-American Conference game was held at the BGSU Softball Field.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 31-20 overall and 12-5 in MAC action, and BGSU moves into a tie for the East Division lead with Akron, a 9-0 loser to Western Michigan on Saturday. Toledo drops to 13-35 and 4-12, respectively.
Saturday marked the third consecutive walk-off win for the Brown and Orange at the BGSU Softball Field.
 Sophomore Dawnjene DeLong was a perfect 3-for-3 in Saturday's win, tying her career best for hits (photo by Larry Clapper)  |
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The Rockets got an early baserunner, as Leslie Stong hit the game's second pitch down the left-field line for a double in the top of the first inning. Falcon starting pitcher Hayley Wiemer got a swinging strikeout of Brie Ford for the first out, then induced Gina Muratori to ground out to the right side of the infield, with Stong taking third. Wiemer walked cleanup hitter Erica Singer, before retiring the side on a called third strike to Alison Hess.
The Falcons, like the Rockets, put a pair of runners aboard in their half of the first. Sophomore Dawnjene DeLong reached on a one-out single, and stole second one out later. Freshman Desiree Miller worked UT starter Sierra Pereira for a walk, but Pereira was able to get a liner that was right at leftfielder Ford to end the inning.
The lone hit of the second inning was Ashley Zirkle's two-out single past the head of Pereira, as both pitchers put up another zero in that frame. In the top of the third, however, the visitors broke through, putting four-straight hitters on base with two down. Ford and Muratori had back-to-back singles, and Singer reached when her slow bouncer to third base resulted in a fielder's choice that loaded the bases.
The next hitter, Hess, hit a one-hopper that bounced over the head of first baseman Lindsay Heimrich and into rightfield for a two-run single, putting the visitors on the board.
BGSU quickly tied the score in the bottom of the inning. After DeLong worked Pereira for a one-out walk, Rango tomahawked a long homerun over the left-field fence to knot the score at 2-2. The mammoth shot cleared the fence by a great distance for her eighth round-tripper of the spring.
The Falcons threatened, but did not score, in the fourth. Wiemer laid down a bunt and beat the throw to first for a leadoff single, and senior Abby Habicht moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Then, Zirkle reached when her pop landed between the UT second baseman and rightfielder on the grass in shallow right. BGSU had runners at first and second with one out, and the next two Falcon batters hit the ball hard, but right at UT fielders. Heimrich's liner was grabbed by leftfielder Ford, and junior Jeanine Baca also hit a liner that was snagged by shortstop Muratori for the third out.
UT centerfielder Singer was busy in the sixth inning, ranging toward the left-centerfield gap to track down Wiemer's liner for the first out, then heading backward to grab Zirkle's fly ball just a few steps in front of the fence.
In the seventh, UT looked to break on top, as Denise Van Vossen hit the first pitch back up the middle for a leadoff single, and moved to second on a sac bunt by Stong. Ford followed with a blooper that went for a single in shallow right. Van Vossen, who was forced to hold to see if the ball would be caught, was able to advance to third, and the Rockets had runners at the corners with just one out.
Muratori was the next batter, and an 0-2 pitch grazed her uniform to load the bases for cleanup hitter Singer. Singer hit a slow bouncer that third baseman Rango grabbed on one hop, and the senior threw to catcher Habicht for a force play at home and the second out. Hess, the next hitter, also grounded to Rango, who fired to Heimrich to retire the side.
In the bottom of the inning, Heimrich -- who easily could have been 3-for-3 on the day -- hit another ball hard, but right at Muratori for the first out. Baca, however, singled up the middle on a 3-2 pitch, and took second on DeLong's bunt toward third base. DeLong was safe as well on the play, beating the throw for an infield single.
That set the stage for Rango, who hit a 2-2 offering into the left-field corner, with Baca rounding third and scoring the winning run.
The Falcons had a narrow 9-8 advantage in the hits department, with DeLong a perfect 3-for-3 on the afternoon. Both Rango and Zirkle had two hits, as Zirkle was 2-for-3 and Rango 2-for-4 with a run scored and all three BGSU runs batted in.
For the visitors, Ford, Hess and Van Vossen all had two hits, with Hess picking up both Toledo RBI.
Wiemer picked up the victory to improve to 8-9 on the year. She allowed two runs on eight hits, walking one batter and striking out seven. Wiemer threw 72 strikes among her 106 total pitches.
Stephanie Moore, who replaced Pereira to begin the seventh inning, suffered the loss, allowing a run on three hits. Pereira gave up two runs and six hits in her six innings of work, walking two batters and striking out two.
The same two teams will do battle at the BGSU Softball Field on Sunday (April 30), concluding their two-game series with a 1:00 p.m. start. The game, the Falcons final home contest of the 2006 season, will be preceded by 'Senior Day' festivities.
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