Bowling Green State University Athletics
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BGSU Blanks Bobcats, 3-0, to Stay Alive in MAC Tournament
May 12, 2006 | Softball
May 12, 2006
MIDLAND, Mich. - Senior Liz Vrabel threw her second complete-game shutout in as many appearances, and a pair of her Bowling Green State University softball teammates hit solo homeruns as the Falcons stayed alive in Mid-American Conference Tournament play with a 3-0 win over Ohio University Friday (May 12).
With the win, the Falcons, the third seed in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament, improve to 37-22 on the season. BGSU has tied the school record for wins. The Brown and Orange will return to the diamond later Friday, facing top-seeded Western Michigan University in a game slated to begin at 5:00 p.m.
The eighth-seeded Bobcats see the season come to an end with a record of 27-40.
 Ashley Zirkle homered in the fourth inning to open the scoring ...  |
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 ... while freshman Desiree Miller also hit a solo shot, in the sixth inning |
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On another cold, rainy day in Midland, the Bobcats got a first-inning baserunner, as Courtney Waters hit a blooper that bounced on the second-base bag and skimmed onto the outfield grass. Waters moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt, but Vrabel got a grounder to second for the third out.
BG also had an early baserunner, as junior Jeanine Baca singled sharply past OU first baseman Robin Miller on the second pitch she saw. But, after a liner to rightfield produced the first out, a double-play ball ended the inning, as Gina Rango was ruled out by the first-base umpire on a bang-bang play.
Cleanup hitter Robin Miller led off the second inning with a single for the Bobcats, but the visitors could advance no further than first base. After a pair of fielder's choice grounders, rightfielder Zirkle made a nice running catch of a liner by Amanda Sacks to retire the side.
Zirkle ripped a Michelle Sauter pitch to the wall in right-centerfield for a two-out double in the bottom of the inning, but Sauter was able to strike out the next batter for the third out.
After that strikeout, the rain, which had been steady but light during the first two innings, increased in intensity, and the teams were called off the field at 11:29 a.m. for a brief delay. The delay was relatively brief, however, and the game resumed after a 19-minute break.
Once play was resumed, Vrabel struck out both Marian Davis and Debbie Szalejko, before Waters reached on a bloop double. Waters hit a ball to shallow left, and the charging Allison Vallas nearly made the catch. Her diving effort came up just short, and Waters was safe at second on a close play, but Vrabel got the next hitter, Kelly Rodriguez, to hit a fly ball to Zirkle to end the half-inning.
The Brown and Orange looked to mount a rally in the bottom of the third. Heimrich laced Sauter's first pitch of the inning to leftfield for a base hit, and a sacrifice bunt by junior Emmy Ramsey moved pinch-runner Lauren Hoffman to second. Ramsey was safe as well, as OU third baseman Emily Futscher was not able to field the bunt cleanly.
Sauter got two quick outs, on a grounder that produced a force play at third and a popup to short. An illegal pitch call moved the runners to second and third, but Sauter was able to get a grounder for the third out, and the game remained scoreless.
Back-to-back singles through the left side of the infield, by Miller and Shannon Weidner, gave the Bobcats a pair of baserunners, and a sac bunt by Emily Futscher loaded the bases, as Futscher reached when first base went uncovered.
The next hitter, Alicia Catlette, fouled off several pitches en route to a 2-2 count, before getting hit on the hand by a pitch and being forced to leave the game. The play was ruled a foul ball, and Maureen McKelvey was forced into a pinch-hit role with that 2-2 count. She fouled off a pitch, took ball three, then fouled off no fewer than four more Vrabel offerings. In all, the Catlette/McKelvey duo saw a total of 12 pitches before McKelvey took a called third strike, which was charged to Catlette.
On the very next pitch, Sacks hit a soft liner to second baseman Ramsey, who made the catch and flipped the ball to Heimrich, doubling Futscher off first base to end the inning without allowing a run.
Sauter got the first two outs of the next half-inning, before Zirkle battled through a long at-bat that ended with positive results for the Brown and Orange. Zirkle got a 3-1 count, then was fooled on a change-up to produce a full count. She stayed alive by fouling off several pitches, then deposited the next pitch over the leftfield fence to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
The Bobcats looked to respond quickly in the top of the fifth. With Vrabel's every pitch being questioned by the third-base coach, pinch-hitter Cathy Walters drew a leadoff walk. Then, Szalejko's perfectly-placed bunt found a hole between two Falcon fielders for a single, sending Davis -- who had re-entered the game -- to second.
Waters attempted to bunt as well, but third baseman Rango fielded the ball and threw to shortstop Dawnjene DeLong to force Davis at third. Rodriguez grounded out to first base for the second out, but the runners advanced to second and third for the cleanup hitter, Miller, who drew a walk after an eight-pitch at-bat. With the bases loaded for the second-straight inning, Weidner grounded to Rango, who fielded the ball and stepped on third for the third out.
The Falcons got a runner to second base in the bottom of the inning. Ramsey singled with one out, but was erased on a Jeanine Baca fielder's choice. Baca stole second with two down, but Sauter got a strikeout to send the game to the sixth inning.
Vrabel set the Bobcats down in order in the top of that sixth frame, getting a strikeout and two consecutive grounders. Candace Warden replaced Sauter in the circle for the Bobcats in the bottom of the inning, and immediately received some help from her fielders. Rango led off that half-inning with a fly ball, and centerfielder Szalejko, charging in, made a diving catch. The next hitter, Miller, hit a ball where Szalejko and her teammates had no chance of tracking it down.
Miller and Warden battled to a full count, and the Falcon frosh fouled off several pitches before hitting a solo homer just left of centerfield for a 2-0 BGSU lead.
Warden's next pitch hit sophomore Allison Vallas, and Zirkle followed with a roller to the right side of the infield. The ball was fielded by first baseman Miller, but second baseman McKelvey, in the game for the injured Catlette, dropped Miller's toss to the bag, and two runners were aboard. Habicht laced a single just over Warden's head into center to load the bases. Heimrich then earned an RBI the hard way, getting hit in the back with a Warden pitch to force Vallas home with the Falcons' second run of the inning and third of the game.
Warden got a strikeout for the second out, and Baca gave the Falcon fans a brief thrill, hitting a ball to center, but Szalejko had enough room to run it down a few steps ahead of the temporary fence.
In the top of the seventh, Vrabel got a strikeout of pinch-hitter Maghan Lunsford, then got another pinch-hitter, Kristin Salvatore, to ground out to shortstop. That brought Waters to the plate, and she kept the Bobcats' hopes alive by beating out a slow roller toward short. Rodriguez then singled sharply through the left side of the BG infield, moving Waters to second base and bringing the tying run to the plate in the person of Miller.
Miller got the count in her favor, at 2-0, then hit a sharp grounder on the first-base side of the circle. Vrabel speared it on one hop and threw to Heimrich to close out the win.
Vrabel allowed eight hits in earning her eighth complete-game shutout of the season. She walked a pair of batters and had six strikeouts in improving to 18-10 on the spring. Vrabel threw 77 strikes among her total of 111 pitches.
Sauter suffered the loss for the Bobcats, dropping to 12-18. She gave up a run and five hits, striking out three Falcons without issuing a walk. Warden surrendered two runs and two hits in her inning of action. The two hurlers combined to throw 108 pitches in the six innings, with 68 total strikes.
At the plate, Zirkle was 2-for-3 for the Falcons' lone multiple-hit game. Waters was 3-for-4 for the Bobcats, who held a narrow 8-7 advantage in the hits department, while Weidner had two hits in three at-bats. Ohio left 10 runners on base to BG's seven.
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