Falcons Split With the Huskies

Friday, April 18

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

NORTHERN ILLINOIS

April 18, 2008 | Softball

April 18, 2008

Final Stats

Game Two Box Score in PDF Format

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The BGSU softball team picked up their sixth straight win at home on the BGSU Softball Field with a 5-2 victory over the Huskies. However, before the double-header was over the Huskies were able to pick-up a win in game two with an extra inning win, 3-2 over the Falcons. Head Coach Shannon Salsburg and the Falcons are now 10-20 overall and 8-3 in the Mid-American Conference.

"The team played really hard today," said Head Coach Shannon Salsburg. "In the first game we came out, set the tone and took advantage of opportunities. In the second game we had some opportunities where we didn't push a run across and that came back to get us. We have to continue working on get our bunts down to advance the runners, but overall the team played well. I thought that Emily Gouge threw really well as did Wiemer. We just came up short today and we will go back to it tomorrow."

Junior pitcher Hayley Wiemer picked up her eighth overall victory of the season (8-4) and seventh victory in the MAC remaining undefeated (7-0) in league play. Wiemer retired four batters and picked up five assists in the circle pitching a full seven innings keeping the Huskies bats under wraps allowing them no extra base hits or earned runs in game one.

Despite the Falcons loss to the Huskies in game two, senior Emily Gouge had a stellar performance on the mound striking out a career high 15 batters out of the 32 Huskies she faced.

The Falcon offense was led by Wiemer who sent her seventh long ball of the season soaring over the right field fence in game two of the double-header. Wiemer now crushed 19 career long balls, only five homers shy of tying BG's career home run record currently held by Gina Rango (26 HRs). On the day she went two-for-five with a 1.200 slugging percentage including a two-run homer, a double and two RBIs.

Also recording two hits on the day were Allison Vallas and Katelynn Boso both hitting two-for-six. Vallas crushed a double and drove in two RBIs. Gouge also recorded two hits against the Huskies and a RBI.

The Falcons will return to action as they host Western Michigan in a two game series to finish the home portion of the 2008 schedule. Saturday's match-up between the Falcons and Broncos will now start at 1:00 p.m. instead of the 2:00 p.m. The Falcons will honor their three seniors at Sunday's game with the first pitch schedule for 1:00 p.m.

Game One Against Northern Illinois

In game one of the double-header the Falcons looked sharp on both ends of the field. Wiemer and the Falcon defense kept the Huskies scoreless in the first three innings allowing only one batter to reach first base.

While the Huskies were kept scoreless the Falcons got their offense started right away scoring their first run in the bottom of the second inning off of back-to-back hits from Gouge and Missy Bowman. The Orange and Brown came right back in the bottom of the third inning started with a single to right field from Susan Sontag singled follow by Wiemer receiving a free ticket to first on a base-on-balls bringing up the Falcon's clean-up hitter Vallas. Vallas then smashed a double into right center driving home two more runs for the Falcons, 3-0.

The Huskies scored their first run in the fourth inning after two singles and a stolen base cutting the Falcons lead, 3-1 but were kept scoreless in the fifth and sixth inning.

The Falcon bats rallied once again in the fifth inning started by a double to left center by Wiemer. Then with two outs Gouge singled to left field scoring Wiemer. An error by Northern Illinois' short-stop put Bowman on base allowing Gouge to score, giving the Falcons a 5-1 lead.

The Huskies came back in the sixth to score one run off of two hits but they didn't have enough to overcome the Falcons as Salsburg's squad won game one, 5-2.

Gouge led the offense in game one going two-for-three, including a RBI and one run scored.

Game Two Against Northern Illinois

Game two of the double-header was a pitching duel after the first inning. Both teams scored two runs in the first inning and then were kept quiet the rest of the game.

The Falcons scored their two runs after a lead off single from Dawnjene DeLong. Sontag then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move DeLong into scoring position for the Falcons bringing Wiemer to the plate. Wiemer then blasted a two run homer to right field to tie the game up 2-2. The homer was her seventh of the season and 19th of her career, only five homers shy of the all-time BGSU career home run record.

Gouge and the Falcon defense didn't let a Huskie past second base in the six innings with Gouge retiring 10 batters, including striking out the side in the fifth inning.

Despite two Falcon hits and three Huskies' errors BG was not able to score in the next six innings, sending game two into extra innings.

With two outs in the top of the eighth inning the Huskies scored a run off of a homer by Krystn Sendejas, giving Northern Illinois a 3-2 lead.

The Falcons weren't able to score in the bottom of the eighth falling to the Huskies, 3-2.

The Falcon sticks were led by Wiemer going one-for-two including a homer, two RBIs and one run scored.