Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
BALL STATE
Falcons Roll Past Cardinals, 8-4
April 06, 2008 | Softball
April 6, 2008
MUNCIE, Indiana - BGSU softball Head Coach Shannon Salsburg and the Falcons finished their second weekend of league play posting a 3-1 record after a decisive, 8-4 win over Mid-American Conference west division opponent Ball State.
BG was on point on both ends of play Sunday (April 6) afternoon, with relentless defense, dominating pitching and big sticks on offense. The Falcons' bats were locked and fully loaded as they had five players hitting a .250 batting average or better.
The Falcons came our firing and more aggressive than Saturday's game against the Cardinals as they scored six runs in the first inning. Dawnjene DeLong led off the Falcons with hit for the second straight game and the seventh time this season. With two outs and a runner on the Falcon offense rallied once again as Allison Vallas singled to the left side. Emily Gouge then reached on an error by Ball State's first baseman scoring DeLong, giving the Falcons a 1-0. Missy Bowman was then given a free ticket to first on a base-on-balls, loading the bases. Cardinal's pitcher Tiffany Garofano then walked Haleigh Bielstein with the bases loaded to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead. With two outs and bases still load for the Orange and Brown Katelynn Boso stepped up to the plate and cranked her first collegiate homer and grand slam over the monstrous left field wall extending the Falcons lead to six runs over the Cardinals.
For the second straight game with Hayley Wiemer in the circle the Falcons kept the Cardinal offense under wrap in early innings with only two Cardinals reach base in the first four innings on a walk and a hit.
Going into the bottom of the fifth inning the Falcons were still leading the Cardinals, 6-0. However, the inevitable finally occurred as the Cardinal bats strung together six hits to score four runs, cutting the Falcons lead to two, 6-4. Gouge stepped in on the mound to get the last two outs for the Falcons.
Both teams were kept scoreless in the sixth inning with six straight outs.
The Falcons weren't satisfied with a two run lead as they scored two insurance runs in the top of the seventh. DeLong started off the Falcons with a double to right center followed by Susan Sontag getting on base off of an infield hit, which moved DeLong to third . Sontag stole second putting two Falcon runners in scoring position. With two runners on and two outs the Falcons' clean-up hitter Vallas stepped up to the plate and for the second time this weekend and in her career she was intentionally walked, a decision the Cardinals might later regret. Now with the bases loaded for the Falcons Gouge stepped into the batter's box and smashed a double to left field to score DeLong and Sontag, extending the Falcons lead over the Cardinals, 8-4.
After a clutch hit on offense Gouge entered the circle with only three outs standing in the way of the Falcons sweep over the Cardinals. Gouge battled in the bottom of the seventh to strike out the side, recording her first save of the season.
"It was a big weekend for us but we know that we still have a lot of work to do," said Head Coach Shannon Salsburg. "We had some great individual performances with Katelynn Boso's grand slam in the first inning giving us an early lead. Emily Gouge stepped up in the late innings on both ends of field with a key double in the seventh inning to score two run and closing door on them from the circle."
The Falcon offense was led by Vallas and DeLong each recorded two hits. Vallas went two-for-three hitting a .667 batting average. DeLong went two-for-four with a .500 batting average and .750 slugging percentage, including a double and two runs. Boso went one-for-three with a 1.333 slugging percentage, recording her first career homer and grand slam bringing home four RBIs. Gouge hit her fourth double of the season recording two RBIs.
On the mound for the Falcons Wiemer earned her fourth win of the season now 4-3 overall and 4-0 in the MAC. Gouge recorded her first save of the season retiring seven of the 10 batters she faced in two and two-thirds innings.
The Falcons will return to action as they take a quick break in MAC play to battle #5 Michigan on Wednesday (April 9) at 4:00 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The match-up between the Falcons and the Wolverines will be the last road game before BG's home opener double-header on Friday (April 11) against Eastern Michigan with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
