Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
OHIO
Falcons Sweep Bobcats in Athens
April 06, 2007 | Softball
April 6, 2007
ATHENS, Ohio - Bowling Green State University not only beat the looming snow, but also swept the Ohio University Bobcats on the road to improve to 4-2 in Mid-American Conference play. Bowling Green staged two come from behind wins to upend the Bobcats to advance their overall record to 19-6 on the season.
Winter weather wreaked havoc across the MAC forcing match-ups between Toledo and Akron and Kent and Central Michigan to be cancelled.
Bowling Green was scheduled to play in Akron tomorrow, but because of the accumulation of snow and low temperatures the original MAC schedule of Saturday (2:00 p.m.) and Sunday (1:00 p.m.) contests has been changed. Saturday's game has been cancelled and will be played as a part of a double header on Sunday. Games are expected to start at 1:00 p.m. Please continue to check www.bgsufalcons.com for more information regarding possible scheduling changes. All information will be posted immediately as it becomes available.
Game One BG 12, OU 5
Seven Falcon runs in the fifth inning propelled Bowling Green to a 12-5 finish and game one win over Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Bowling Green had trailed 5-4 through five complete innings. The BGSU sticks combined for a conference season high 13 hits in the victory.
The early innings of game one did not bode well for the Falcons as two consecutive bunts allowed Ohio University to play short ball against the BGSU infield in the second inning to load the bases. With just one out and a full count, Courtney Waters hit a triple to return all three Bobcat base runners and give OU the 3-0 edge. Waters was then retuned home when Debbie Szalejko hit a double and advanced the lead to four runs. Second baseman Carly Riepenhoff and catcher Ashley Zirkle each gloved a pop-up out to end the inning with two Bobcats still within striking distance.
In the top of the third, with an out and a full count Riepenhoff reached base on a single and was followed by Jeanine Baca. Emmy Ramsey, shortening the field herself, loaded the bases with a bunt landing just inches from the batters box. After fouling a ball low and hard into the OU dugout to reach the full count, Hayley Wiemer was retired to give the Falcons their second out of the inning. In the clean-up position Allison Vallas emptied the infield returning each of the three Falcon base runners to close the scoring gap, 4-3 in the top of the third. Vallas was left on second as BGSU picked up their third and final out of the inning. Bowling Green scored their three runs on two hits.
OU's Waters scored her second run of the game in the fourth inning but the Falcons kept the Bobcats from also returning Shalene Petrich. Petrich rounded the bases but did not advance past third. OU led 5-3 at the conclusion of four complete innings.
Bowling Green cut the OU two run lead to one in the top of the fifth inning as Vallas drove Michelle Sauter's pitch down the first base line and into the outfield for a base hit and Baca's second score of the day. The Falcons eliminated any chance of the Bobcats extending the one run lead retiring both the side and the fifth inning.
Candace Saucedo took over the Ohio mound in the fifth inning, but was soon replaced by Sauter, OU's starting pitcher, after Susan Sontag evened the playing field. The freshman scored the fifth Falcon run off Dawnjene DeLong's fifth double of the season. Riepenhoff brought Brittnay Hay off the third base bag with a hard slap beginning the BGSU rally. With momentum on their side, BGSU began scoring at will as DeLong pushed the BGSU advantage to 7-5 while Riepenhoff stretched the lead to 8-5. The rally reached its peak as Ramsey, Wiemer and Vallas dotted the baseline with only one out registering on the scoreboard. Zirkle's two base laser to left field returned Ramsey and Wiemer to the dugout and Bowling Green was up a commanding 10-5. Hay's second single of the inning scored Vallas and the Falcons confidence, similar to their run count, was obviously sky-rocketing from the plate. A double play with outs at home and first base ended the 12 batter inning.
The Falcons recorded their sixth double-digit hitting game of the season after adding seven hits in the sixth inning to their four hits in prior innings. Three separate Bobcats faced the Falcons from the hill during the sixth inning rally.
Baca, narrowly missing a tag out at home, scored the Falcons 12th and final run of the game after Wiemer crushed her third hit of the contest in the seventh inning.
After relieving Gouge in the sixth, Wiemer struck out two OU batters in the final leg of the victory. A dribbler to Vallas at first notched the out between Wiemer's K's.
The final BGSU stat line tallied 13 Orange and Brown hits scoring 12 runs.
Gouge and Wiemer hurled six strikeouts and just one walk. Baca was 3-for-4 from the plate while both Wiemer and Vallas were 3-for-5. Vallas accounted for a game high four RBI's.
Game Two BG 5, OU 3
OU, determined to rectify the first loss, aggressively battled the Falcons and registered two runs in the first inning as the predicted snow invaded Athens.
Hay scored the first Falcon run when DeLong hit a triple down the third base line and left BGSU wanting more as they trailed the Bobcats 2-1 after two innings at the plate.
After a scoring drought in the third inning, Baca's line drive aimed straight back at the pitching mound blew past Natalie Armstrong's glove giving the senior a base hit, but more importantly scoring Zirkle and DeLong from third and second, respectively.
A quick defensive outing returned the Falcons to the plate in the top of the fifth where Wiemer led the inning off with a walk and OU's Zoey Heim, the fourth pitcher of the day was brought in to the contest from the bull pen. Despite a valiant hitting and on base effort, BG was unable to recreate a high scoring inning similar to that of game one.
In the bottom of the fifth with two outs taken care of, OU's Marian Davis base hit split the field and returned the Bobcat runner to post 3's for each squad on the scoreboard. The Falcon defense left two Bobcats stranded closing five full innings at 3-3.
Post walking Delong, the first batter of the sixth inning, Katlyn Mallette entered the match-up relieving Heim of her pitching duties, but much like her teammate placed the next Falcon batter in play with a base on balls. Pinch hitting for Ramsey, Lauren Hoffman connected on her second hit of the season scoring DeLong from third. Later Riepenhoff, the second walked Falcon of the inning, completed her base journey as Wiemer ripped a base hit. The inning closed with a highlight reel worthy catch by OU's leftfielder Waters.
The BGSU defense took the field with a 5-3 lead secured in their pockets. Hay matched Waters defensive efforts and negated a base hit with a diving catch of her own at third to push the Falcons within an out of a scoreless inning. Despite a single, OU was unable to leave the inning with a run.
The seventh inning gave rise to yet another round of Bobcat switch-a-roo on the mound and OU's Sauter returned to face the Falcons for her third and final appearance of the double header series. She and her teammates went on to hold the Falcons scoreless in the seventh. Beginning in the second, Bowling Green scored at least once in every other inning of competition.
Gouge returned to the mound for the Orange and Brown in the final inning keeping Ohio hitless.
Ohio out-hit the Falcons 11-4 in the losing effort.
