Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
BUFFALO
Batter's Delight! BGSU Scores 18 Runs on Buffalo in Two Games
March 31, 2007 | Softball
March 31, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - - Threatening weather in Bowling Green forced the Falcons (17-6, 2-2) to host visiting University at Buffalo (2-29, 0-4) in double header action on Saturday afternoon instead of single games on Saturday and Sunday. Bowling Green took the scheduled game 9-3 and went on to win game two 9-0 in four and a half innings.
"This morning was crazy after we decided to play both today, but one of the things we have stressed all year is flexibility. Softball is a sport where you have to be flexible under these types of circumstances because, if you aren't, it is going to eat you alive," said head coach Shannon Salsburg. "I called the team at 8:30 a.m. and they were all here by 10:00 a.m. like I asked. Plus, they came out and took care of their business. What more can you ask for?"
With the game one win Salsburg wins her first contest as a Mid-American Conference head coach. The decision was also the first win in conference play for Hayely Wiemer (7-3) from the mound in the new season and allowed Sharon Palma to record her first collegiate save.
After one weekend, three Falcons are batting above .400 (Wiemer, .636, Baca, .417, Vallas, .417) and are at .276 as a team with the irons in conference play.
Bowling Green will spend next weekend on the road with two games against the Bobcats of Ohio on Friday. The first pitch in Athens, Ohio will be thrown at 1:00 p.m. The Falcons will remain on the road for a Saturday/Sunday trip to Akron with games at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively.
Game One - BGSU 9, UB 3 FINAL
Buffalo took the 1-0 lead in the first inning and were threatening to extend it with two runners in scoring position but two grounders to Brittnay Hay ended the inning and the Bulls scoring potential.
"Buffalo is a feisty team and they have always been a feisty team," said Salsburg. "They are going to put the bat on the ball and they try to find a way to put their opponents in pressure situations. "
Senior Jeanine Baca, the Falcons leadoff hitter, invaded the UB infield with a single and, like many previous scenarios, was returned home for the first Falcons score by Wiemer's base hit posting the picket fence on the scoreboard with the 1-1 tie.
The Falcons were quickly back to bat after Weimer struck out two and the 5-3 combination of Brittnay Hay to Allison Vallas got the third out to end the second.
The Falcons hinted at a big day when junior Dawnjene DeLong, the second batter of the inning, hit her fourth homerun of the season and returned Hay who was on base after being walked.
Erin Zilka loaded the Buffalo bases with two outs in the third inning and pushed Colleen Green home when Sharon Barr took one to the wrist with the 0-2 count to cut the lead to one, 3-2, in BGSU's favor. The BG defense kept the Bulls at bay when Dana Carter grounded out to Vallas at first for the easy tag out to polish off the inning.
Ashley Zirkle smacked a two run base hit in the bottom of the third to score Wiemer and Vallas and then beat out a rundown to keep the Falcons without an out. BGSU picked up a quick two outs as Hay grounded into a double play eliminating both she and Zirkle from the baseline but the outs did not phase Dawnjene DeLong who, due to two passed balls, was sitting comfortably on third ready to notch another BG score. The BGSU sticks were unable to return DeLong home and the Orange and Brown ended the third inning with a score of 5-2.
In the fourth, the Falcons wiped UB's base scoring chances clean as Zirkle's toss to DeLong outed Jaime Sheffler whose steal attempt from first to second was negated and registered the second Bulls out. UB had the potential third and fourth scores on first and second base but Wiemer threw her fifth strikeout of the day to stop the Bulls in their tracks to end the UB offensive outing.
It only took one pitch for Baca to say goodbye to her third HR of season and tie last season's homerun count of 24 derby balls hit in the bottom of the fourth.
Freshman Palma made her first MAC appearance entering the game in the fifth inning. UB's Lacy Schneider lit up a four base score to keep UB afloat but the southpaw rebounded by playing catch with Zirkle to earn her first MAC strikeout.
In a wild sixth inning, Baca beat a run down along left field line in front of her own dugout to score run number seven and was followed by Emmy Ramsey who posted run number eight courtesy of a Vallas base hit. Wiemer rang in the last score off an overthrown ball by the second baseman at home.
"We came out and swung from one to nine which was huge," said Salsburg. "On the mound, our kids gave us every opportunity to win. It was a great team effort once again."
BGSU scored nine runs on 12 hits. Wiemer was a perfect 3-3 while Baca, Ramsey and Vallas each contributed a pair of hits.
Game Two - BGSU 9, UB 0 (4.5) FINAL
Emily Gouge started and completed the short game for the Falcons on the mound tossing six K's while giving up just two hits.
The Falcons hitting rained on BGSU Softball Field before the skies actually opened over the field and brought in nine runs to overtake the Bulls in 4.5 innings. It was their second mercy victory in five games.
The slew of Falcon runs began when Zirkle reached first base as UB second baseman Liz Houke dropped a routine catch to score Baca from second and advance Vallas to the scoring corner. Vallas scored on a wild pitch that was thrown behind Hay, the Falcon batter. BGSU led 2-0 at the end of one.
Early in the bottom of the third, Wiemer's infield single, which dribbled down the first base line, advanced Ramsey's aggressive running over to third setting up Vallas to drill her sixth homerun of the year and score the BGSU base occupants for the 5-0 advantage. Later in the same inning, with loaded bases Carly Riepenhoff brought Zirkle home with an RBI single that forced UB to switch then pitcher Carter with then first baseman Margo Schramm. At this point each of the Falcon batters reached based in the third inning. Baca, the ninth batter of the inning, hit a long single to the wall scoring Hay. Wiemer then scored Riepenhoff and Baca on a single following the DeLong forced out at home. Vallas ended the inning with a ground out to the pitcher as the Orange and Brown recorded seven runs on eight hits in the inning.
The Falcons did not allow the UB defense to rest long as it took only 12 pitches to retire the Bull batters in the bottom of the fourth.
"The weather gave the pitchers a tough situation to pitch in because it was cold and it is easy for their fingers to start to numb. I think they did a good job of keeping command of their pitches," said Salsburg.
Kylie Baier and Jessica Barisono made their first appearances at the BGSU Softball Field pinch hitting for Zirkle and Hay in the fourth. Baier was hit by a pitch to take first base and returned to the dugout when Palma entered the game as a pinch runner. Barisono struck out. Palma tried to score on a wild pitch to Baca but was out at home from the pitcher to the catcher to end fourth inning.
UB needed two scores to avoid the fifth inning run-ruling but came up short as the inning began and ended on two air balls to Ramsey in left field. Bowling Green picked up out one with a line drive to left field where Ramsey made a jumping catch across her body. Next, Baca dove for Brittany Husssong's shot to the outfield, but the ball sliped out of her glove and UB's hopes for a rally remained alive. Gouge threw one of her six strikeouts with the 2-2 count to down Carter for the second out. Ramsey picked the last ball out of the atmosphere to end the inning and the game.
