Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OHIO
Walk-Off Walk Wins Wild One for Vallas, Falcons, 3-2
April 09, 2006 | Softball
April 9, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Sophomore Allison Vallas drew a bases-loaded walk to force pinch-runner Lauren Hoffman home with the winning run as the Bowling Green State University softball team downed Ohio University, 3-2, Sunday afternoon (April 9). The Mid-American Conference game was held at the BGSU Softball Field.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 23-14 overall and 6-2 in MAC play, and BGSU remains in a first-place tie with Akron in the league's East Division. The Bobcats drop to 19-21 and 4-4, respectively.
Freshman Hayley Wiemer picked up the win, allowing just two runs -- both unearned -- and five hits in her complete-game effort.
 Senior Gina Rango became the BGSU career hits leader in the game ...  |
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The weather was the most pleasant of any of the Falcons' home dates this year so far, with the game-time temperature near 50 degrees and sunny skies. Ohio's Debbie Szalejko began the game by hitting a soft liner that hit on the rightfield line, and she slid into second just ahead of the tag with a leadoff double. Szalejko took third base on a passed ball, but Wiemer got Alicia Catlette to hit a one-hopper back to the circle. The freshman looked the runner back to third, then fired to first base for the out.
The next hitter, Kelly Rodriguez, hit a grounder to shortstop Dawnjene DeLong, who gloved the ball and threw home. Senior catcher Abby Habicht applied the tag on Szaljeko for the second out, and the Habicht-DeLong combination teamed up again to catch Rodriguez attempting to steal.
 ... while freshman Hayley Wiemer did not allow an earned run in her complete-game win |
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For Rango, the double was hit number 235 in her BGSU career, setting a new school record. It was also double number 47 for Rango as a Falcon, tying that school mark.
Freshman Desiree Miller made it three consecutive hits for the Falcon bats, singling to right to score Wiemer with the game's first run.
The only two hits for either team over the next two innings came off the BG bats, as Habicht lined a ball down the leftfield line, past the lunging effort of Rodriguez, for a second-inning double, and Rango had a two-out single to left in the third.
Wiemer mowed down the Bobcats in the top of the fourth, and junior Jeanine Baca beat out a two-out bunt toward first base in the bottom of the inning. But, Ohio starter Michelle Sauter got a grounder for the third out of the inning.
Wiemer had faced the minimum 12 batters over the first four innings, and struck out Shannon Weidner to begin the fifth, but Weidner was safe at first after the ball bounded away for a wild pitch. A sacrifice bunt by Robin Miller moved pinch-runner Danielle Kelley to second, and a grounder deep in the hole at short resulted in Emily Futscher reaching safely and Kelly taking third.
It seemed as if the Falcons might escape damage, as Wiemer got Amanda Sacks to ground out to first base. BG first baseman Lindsay Heimrich grabbed the ball and alertly ran toward Sacks to apply the tag and hold Kelley at third. On the play, Sacks turned and retreated toward home in an attempt to avoid Heimrich's tag, and the umpires thusly ruled that Futscher, who had advanced to second base, must return to first.
With Maureen McKelvey at bat, however, the Bobcats successfully pulled off a double steal to get on the scoreboard. Wiemer got a strikeout of McKelvey to end the inning, but the game was tied.
Junior Ashley Zirkle nearly untied the game in the bottom of the frame, leading off with a long drive to straightaway center. OU centerfielder Szalejko, however, made a leaping catch as she crashed into the fence. But, DeLong drew a two-out walk and moved to second base on a wild pitch, before Wiemer brought her around to score with a double to left-center. The Bobcats replaced Sauter in the circle with Candace Warden, and Rango greeted her with hard-hit ball. But, shortstop Sacks was able to stab that hard grounder, almost in self-defense, and fire to first to end the inning.
BG threatened again in the sixth, as Miller led off with a walk before being erased on a Vallas fielder's choice. The next batter, Baca, also hit into a fielder's choice. This time, however, both runners were safe, as Sacks could not come up with the ball in time to get Vallas at second.
The Falcons tried a double steal that was unsuccessful, resulting in the second out. Habicht singled sharply to left to move Baca to third, but Warden got an inning-ending strikeout.
In the seventh, the Bobcats tied the game on two hits and no fewer than three infield errors by the Brown and Orange. Weidner led off the inning by beating out a slow roller for a hit, then advancing to second when a throw toward first was wide of the mark. Miller then reached base on another BG fielding miscue, with pinch-runner Kristin Salvatore moving to third base to give the visitors runners at the corners with no outs.
Futscher and Wiemer then hooked up in a lengthy at-bat, with Futscher fouling off four pitches before swinging and missing for strike three. Pinch-hitter Cathy Walters got the job done, however, with an infield single that scored Salvatore with the tying run. And, the Bobcats still had a pair of runners aboard with one out.
The nervousness of the Falcon faithful increased as Marian Davis reached on yet another error, loading the bases. But, Wiemer got two quick strikes on pinch-hitter Maghan Lunsford, then induced the Bobcat senior to hit a grounder toward second baseman Megan McPherson.
McPherson grabbed the roller, tagged Davis on her way to second, then fired to Heimrich to complete the double play and end the half-inning with the score still tied.
In the bottom of the inning, Heimrich led off by reaching on an infield single, as third baseman Futscher made a lunging stab at the looper at shoetop level, but could not come up with the ball. DeLong laid down a bunt, and both runners were safe, as the Bobcat fielder could not come up with Warden's accurate throw to second base. On the fielder's choice and error, the Falcons had two runners aboard, including the winning run 120 feet away with no outs.
With the heart of the BGSU order coming up, though, Warden got a foul pop and a short fly ball to rightfield for two quick outs. But, Miller banged a single to left to load the bases, and Vallas battled Warden through a nine-pinch at-bat, fouling off three pitches after the count was 2-2. With a full count, on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, the pitch was outside for ball four, and Hoffman trotted home with the winning run.
Wiemer, as mentioned, picked up the complete-game win, and is now 7-6 on the season. She threw 70 strikes among her 93 pitches, allowing just five hits. Szaljeko's double to begin the game was the only hit Wiemer allowed that left the infield.
Wiemer did not walk a batter while striking out eight, matching her career high. Both runs she allowed on Sunday were unearned.
Warden took the loss in relief, despite allowing just a single, unearned run in two innings of work. She gave up three hits and two walks, while striking out one.
Sauter, the starter, allowed two runs and seven hits before leaving with two outs in the BG fifth. Sauter, who pitched all 12 innings of Saturday's OU win over the Falcons, walked one batter and did not record a strikeout on Sunday.
At the plate, the Falcons pounded out 10 hits, with Habicht and Miller each going 2-for-3 and Rango and Wiemer both finishing 2-for-4. Wiemer scored a run and drove in a run, while Miller had a walk and an RBI.
The Falcons are on the road all next week, beginning with a Tuesday (April 11) non-conference game at Michigan State. Starting time for that contest is 4:00 p.m.
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