Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Kent State
Long Ball Hurts BGSU For First Time This Season
March 30, 2007 | Softball
March 30, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - `Homerun' has been a key word for the Falcons this season. To date BGSU has dialed long distance 22 times, but it was Kent's five homeruns in two games that gave the Golden Flash the early lead in the MAC East divisional race. With a game one 3-1 decision and a game two 4-2 win, Kent becomes 2-0 in the Mid-American Conference and 15-11 overall. The Falcons move to 15-6 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
BGSU is 17-12 when opening the season at home and falls to 14-10 when opening the MAC.
Game one previewed as a pitchers dual as both Hayley Wiemer (BGSU) and Kylie Reynolds (KSU) helped their defense keep the contest scoreless through the first three innings.
Bowling Green's Allison Vallas advanced to the third base bag but was unable to cash in on the scoring placement and was left on base to end the second inning without lighting the scoreboard.
KSU broke the ice when Kim Hamilton scored off Brittney Robinson's hard shot straight back at Wiemer on the mound.
BGSU kept their composure and in the fifth inning placed Brittnay Hay on base when her leadoff slam bounced off the outfield wall giving the sophomore a double. In what later turned out to be quite the sore day for junior Dawnjene DeLong, the first of three pitches to hit DeLong in the batters box advanced the shortstop to first. Carly Riepenhoff reached first on a Fielder's Choice that outed Hay but advanced DeLong. Jeanine Baca's double scored DeLong and left Reipenhoff on third to follow. With bases loaded, Vallas found herself in a full pitch count and grounded just past the pitcher to the KSU shortstop whose toss made it to the first baseman before Vallas. The Falcons were unable to bring Riepenhoff home and ended the fifth in a 1-1 tie with KSU.
KSU won the game on their first of five homeruns on the day when Hamilton hit one just left of the centerfield flag pole for the 2-1 lead.
KSU extended their game one lead to 3-1 with a solo run in the seventh.
In 5.1 innings, Wiemer picked up her third loss of the season (6-3) allowing three hits and striking out three batters.
In game two, KSU found their batting stride early and hit four homeruns to earn their second MAC win of the new season downing the Falcons 4-2.
The Golden Flash jumped to an early 2-0 lead swinging to the fences once in the first and again in the third inning. Wiemer answered with a ace of her own to keep BG alive 2-1 in the fifth, but KSU connected twice in the fifth to stretch the lead 4-1. Wiemer once again answered the call sending a ball towards the BGSU baseball diamond, but the Falcons were unable to cut the two run lead.
KSU's Robinson not only picked up the win, but also was responsible for two of the four long shots in game two.
Wiemer finished the day batting .400 (2-5) and slugging 1.600 while Vallas hit .333 (2-6) with a .500 slugging tally. She is joined by Baca (.517) and Hay (.500) as the Falcon slug leaders.
Wiemer and fellow pitcher Emily Gouge threw 12 K's in 14 innings. Each earned one conference start.
Bowling Green will remain home through the weekend and will welcome the Bulls of the University at Buffalo to BGSU Softball Field tomorrow for a 2:00 p.m. start. Sunday, the teams are scheduled to square off at 1:00 p.m.
