Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
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NORTH FLORIDA
Falcons Open Season with Two Victories
February 14, 2009 | Softball
Feb. 14, 2009
ORLANDO, Florida - Head coach Shannon Salsburg and the Falcons opened the 2009 season today (Feb. 13) with a 1-0 shutout over University of North Florida followed by an 8-6 victory over Bradley. In their two games on opening day the Falcons totaled 16 hits, a season high 11 against Bradley and five against North Florida. Senior Hayley Wiemer recorded both of the Falcons' wins from the mound with an error free defense behind her.
"It's fantastic to get off to a 2-0 start," said head coach Shannon Salsburg. "The best part about the 2-0 is that it wasn't just one person, it really took the team in both games. Different people stepped up and got base hits. The team really grew from inning one to inning 14, which isn't always something you see on the first day. You could really see them believe in each other and continue to get better and better each inning. We are looking forward to continuing to grow and come out as aggressive as we finished the day."
After back-to-back victories on opening day for the Falcons they will return to the field tomorrow (Feb. 14) to match up against South Carolina at 11:00 a.m. and University of Texas-Arlington at 3:30 p.m.
Falcons Shut-Out Ospreys in Season Opener
Head coach Shannon Salsburg and the Falcons opened the 2009 season this afternoon (Feb. 13) with a 1-0 shut-out against North Florida, in the two teams first ever meeting. Senior Hayley Wiemer started on the mound for BG and recorded her first win, shut-out and complete of the season fanning nine batters, only one shy of her career high. Junior Susan Sontag led the Orange and Brown bats with a triple that turned into the winning run.
Three Falcons got their debut in Orange and Brown against North Florida, junior Karmen Coffey and freshmen Rachel Proehl and Melissa West.
The first four and a half innings was a pitchers battle as both teams were kept scoreless with only five hits between the two teams.
BG got their offense started in the third inning as Sontag got on base off of an error by UNF's pitcher. Freshman Rachel Proehl then came up to the plate and lined a shot into left field for her first career collegiate hit, putting runners on first and second for the Falcons, but BG wasn't able to score.
The Osprey were able to get their offense going in the top of the fourth inning as they recorded a lead-off double but Wiemer and the Falcon defense were able to take care of the next three batters, striking out two and forcing the third to ground out, stranding their base runner and keeping UNF scoreless.
Sontag once again got the Falcon bats going in the bottom of the fifth inning with a line drive just shy of the University of Central Florida's 200 foot right center wall. Proehl then stepped up to the plate and kept the offense going as she got on base off of an error by UNF's shortstop. With one out Lindsay Arney came up to bat and hit a long sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Sontag the winning run and move Proehl to third. The Falcons weren't able to score anymore runs but Wiemer and the BG defense kept the Osprey scoreless for two more innings only allow one UNF player to reach first base.
Wiemer pitched a complete shutout recording her first winning of the season fanning nine batters, to go with a solid performance and no errors by BG's defense.
Sontag and Wiemer led the Falcons offensively both hitting 1-for-2 on the game as Sontag's triple led to the winning run. Proehl recorded the Falcons other hit against the Osprey, which was also her first career hit. Arney drove home the only run of the game, recording her first career RBI.
Falcons Come Back to Defeat Braves, 8-6
After waiting three hours past their original game time to start their second game of the night the Falcons came back from a five run deficit to defeat the Bradley Braves, 8-6. The Falcons not only picked up their second win of the day and season but also evened up their all-time series against the Braves 3-3.
BG got their bats going early against the Braves as freshman Melissa West and senior Hayley Wiemer each recorded a hit up the middle in the first inning. West's single up the middle was her first career collegiate hit.
The Braves also got their offense started early scoring five runs off of four hits in the first inning.
The Falcons answered right back in the top of second inning after an error put Karmen Coffey on base and Susan Sontag reached first on a fielder's choice. Bott then stepped up to the plate and ripped a single up the middle to drive home two Falcon runs and cut the Braves lead to three, 5-2.
The Falcons were able to keep the Braves scoreless in the bottom of the second and then rallied in the top of the third to score six runs off of six hits and take an 8-6 lead.
Lindsay Arney got the offense started with a lead-off walk, which was followed by back-to-back singles once again from West and Wiemer to load the bases for the Falcons. Coffey stepped up to the plate and hit a single up the middle to score West. Bott was next up for the Falcons and helped herself out hitting a single through the left side to score Wiemer. The Falcon rallied didn't end there as Katelynn Boso came up to bat and crushed a double to right field driving home two more runs for the Falcons, giving BG a 6-5 lead over Bradley. Rachel Proehl kept the Falcons going with another single up the middle bringing home the last two Falcon runs extending BG's lead to three, 8-5 and recording her first collegiate RBI.
The Braves were able to score one more run in the bottom of the third off of a home run by Alycia Bachkora, but that was it for Bradley as they were kept scoreless the for four straight innings. The Braves did give up and came close to scoring in the bottom of the fifth with a long fly ball to center field but BG centerfielder Arney made a great catch at the center field wall to rob the Braves of an extra base hit.
The Falcons crushed a season high 11 hits with four players recording two hits a piece. Leading the way for BG and all going 2-for-4 at the plate were West, Wiemer and Bott. Also recording two hits for the Orange and Brown was Proehl.
Wiemer picked up the win for the Falcons, while the defense once again was error free.
