Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
AKRON
Vallas Has Successful Hitting Day in 8-3 Win, Falcons Named Champions of Panera Bread Challenge
February 25, 2007 | Softball
Feb. 25, 2007
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Junior Allison Vallas had a big day for the Falcons (4-1) against the Akron (2-3) hurlers sending pitches deep for a first inning homerun and a seventh inning triple. Freshman Carly Riepenhoff also returned a pitch deep to right center in the first inning. The two were responsible for a combined six-of-eight Falcon scores. Bowling Green also defended their title as two-time Panera Bread Challenge after posting a 4-1 record on the campus of the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga.
Entering day three, the Falcons were tied for first place with Chattanooga and Miami with three tournament wins and just one loss. Chattanooga beat MU, 4-3 in their final game of tournament play. The Falcons were awarded the crown due to a three-tired tie-breaking system. BGSU and host Chattanooga, each won four games but did not face eachother in head-to-head action making tier one erroneous. Tier two was also negated because both the Falcons and the Mocs allowed common opponent Miami to score three runs. Tier three, runs scored, was forced to decide the tournament. Bowling Green won the tie-breaker as a result of their 26 runs on the weekend. The Mocs scored 17 and finished in second. Miami took third.
Today's win propelled first year head coach Shannon Salsburg to the record books by becoming the only Bowling Green coach in program history to post a winning record at the conclusion of her first opening weekend at the helm of the program. Salsburg's Falcon went 4-1 at the Panera Bread Challenge.
In today's non-conference battle with Akron, the Falcons scored five of their eight runs in the first inning. With two outs and a runner on first base, Vallas sent one screaming to right center as the Falcons jumped to the 2-0 lead. The Falcon batters did not bat an eye at the two out situation and with bases loaded, Riepenhoff drove in three runs. BGSU ended the first inning with five runs on four hits.
Starting pitcher Emily Gouge transferred the momentum to the mound and nipped the Zips offense by not allowing a hit in the three-and-out series to kick off the bottom of the first.
Not giving up, Akron scored once in the second and twice in the third cutting the BGSU lead to 5-3 at the end of three. Bowling Green, led by pitcher Gouge and Hayley Wiemer, allowed just one Zip hit in the next four innings.
Three quiet innings later, Bowling Green's Jeanine Baca scored on Wiemer's fifth inning single, chalking up the sixth BG run of the day. Runs seven and eight were filed in the final inning of play. With one out and Dawnjene DeLong on base, Vallas' bat sent one to left center for a triple and an RBI. She was brought home when catcher Ashley Zirkle singled on the next at bat. Zirkle is currently holding a hot bat of her own and is riding a five game hitting streak. BGSU scored twice on one hit in their final inning in Chattanooga.
Wiemer relieved Gouge in the fourth inning and earned the win. She allowed one hit and struck out three batters. Gouge picked up one K in her three innings of duty.
Next up for the Falcons will be a trip to Charleston, South Carolina for the Charleston Southern Tournament. The first of their six opponents will be Brown University for an early evening game at 5:00 p.m. on March 3. Day one's second game will be played under the lights when the Falcons match-up with the Campbell Camels at 7:00 p.m.
