Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
UNLV
Falcons Runnin' Over Rebels in Tampa, 3-2
March 18, 2007 | Softball
March 18, 2007
TAMPA, Fla. - Head coach Shannon Salsburg and the Orange and Brown Falcons have become accustomed to playing for championships. In their past two tournament outings the Falcons have finished atop the brackets twice, and in just a few hours BGSU will attempt to make it a three-peat. BGSU will take on the winner of the host South Florida/Boston match-up at 1:30 p.m. in the USF Speedline tournament Championship after eliminating UNLV 3-2 earlier this morning.
"We are excited to be in this situation and just play the best teams possible while we are here," said head coach Shannon Salsburg.
Dependant on the championship opponent, real time stats maybe found at www.GoUSFBulls.
The Falcon unit put together yet another impressive offensive day striking eight hits including first baseman Allison Vallas' second homerun of the tournament. Vallas scored two of the Falcons three runs while senior Emmy Ramsey added another.
Junior Emily Gouge earned her sixth win of the season by striking out seven batters and allowing just three UNLV hits.
"Gouge did a phenomenal job keeping their batters off balance," said Salsburg. "UNLV is a fantastic hitting team and the best we have seen thus far.
"Today was a battle between two very good hitting teams."
The game was played much like the popular television show Survivor, the winner was going to be the team that would "out wit, out play and out last" the other. Each time the Falcons scored, UNLV leveled the playing ground scoring in the same inning.
Ramsey drew first blood when she gave the Falcons the 1-0 lead scoring on an error by the Runnin' Rebels catcher. UNLV evened the game at 1-1 when Kelli Fangonilo scored from third on a wild pitch.
BGSU regained the short lived lead in the third when Vallas beamed a shot down the right field line for the homerun, but UNLV returned the favor with a score in the same inning to push the tie back to 2-2.
Vallas positioned herself to score the game winning run with her two base slam to left field in the top of the sixth inning as the lead off hitter. Freshman Susan Sontag singled up the middle to return Vallas and give the Falcons their fourteenth win of the season.
The Falcons hitters reached base in five of the seven innings played and was dubbed a "a very productive offensive day" by Salsburg.
