Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Kent State
Falcons Upset Golden Flashes in 8-0 Shutout
April 25, 2009 | Softball
April 25, 2009
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University softball team stepped up to the challenge this afternoon (April 25) as they upset Kent State in an 8-0 shutout in six innings. The Falcons now 11-26 overall and 6-11 in the Mid-American Conference, handed the Golden Flashes their third loss in MAC play, the second of the weekend and their first game ending in MAC play to end in a run rule.
The Falcon offense was able to light up Kent State recording eight runs on eight hits with five different players recording at least one hit and two players with multiple hit games. The Falcons combined for a .333 team batting average nearly two hundred points over Kent State's opposing batting average of .190.
A combined effort from a flawless Falcon defense and a stellar performance in the circle from Hayley Wiemer matching her career high 10 strikeouts, stifled the Golden Flashes' offensively only giving up four hits on the day with no runner getting past second base, holding them to a .190 batting average way below their conference average, .261.
"Today was a great team victory," said head coach Shannon Salsburg. "Every day that we play we are fighting for our MAC Tournament berth. Today we got better and one step closer to that."
The Falcons were able to retire the Golden Flashes in one, two, three fashion in the top of the first inning.
BG then got their offense started as Wiemer recorded a two out line drive single up the middle to give the Falcons their first base runner.
In the top of the second inning the Golden Flashes got their first base runner with a one out single to right field. Wiemer fought right back to retire the next two batters on strikes to end the inning and keep Kent State scoreless.
The Orange and Brown rallied in the second inning to put BG on the score board first. Sophomore Zada Lines led-off the inning with a single down the left field line. Missy Bowman kept things going earning a base-on-balls to give BG runners on first and second with no outs. The Golden Flashes were able to get out number one but Katelynn Boso was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two outs and bases still loaded Melissa West singled down the left field line to drive home Lines and give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
Neither team was able to get anything going offensively in the third inning.
In the top of the fourth the Kent State offense showed itself once again briefly as they recorded a lead-off single, however Boso then gunned down the Golden Flashes base runner on a steal attempt to get the first out of the inning. Kent State was able to record another single to left field for another base runner but the Falcons retired the next two batters to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth the Falcons' offense was kept quiet, but it didn't matter as an offensive explosion was about to occur in the next two innings for BG.
With two outs in the top of the fifth the Golden Flashes recorded their last hit of the game with a double to left field. Wiemer battled back to get the next batter on strikes to end the inning keeping Kent State scoreless.
The Falcons rallied again the in bottom of the fifth recording three more runs. The Orange and Brown bats were sparked by a lead-off slap single to the left side from Lindsay Arney. The Golden Flashes were able to the next two outs bringing Wiemer to the plate. Kent State was very cautious with Wiemer at the plate and ended up giving her first base on a base-on-balls. Susan Sontag was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for BG. A Kent State wild pitch allowed Arney to score giving BG a 2-0 lead and the Falcons to move runners into scoring position on second and third. Lines then stepped up to the plate and doubled the right center driving home two more Falcon runs to extend BG's lead to four, 4-0.
Wiemer and the Falcons were able to make a quick in of the Golden Flashes in the top of the sixth with a three-up, three-down inning, including Wiemer fanning the last two batters.
The Falcons stayed aggressive on offense in the bottom of the sixth scoring four more runs eventually ending the game. Haleigh Bielstein led-off the inning as she was hit by a pitch. Boso was then given first base on a walk. Then with one out and runners one first and second Karmen Coffey hit a line drive single to center field driving home one run, but an error by Kent State's center fielder allowed Coffey two more bases and gave the Falcons an extra run, 6-0. Wiemer then stepped up to the plate and doubled to center field to give the Falcons another run, 7-0. The Golden Flashes made a pitching change but that wasn't able to stop the Falcons and Sontag was then give first on a base-on-balls. Lines then drove home the game ending run with a walk-off single up the middle to give the Falcons an 8-0 victory over Kent State.
The Falcon bats were on fire once again at the Meserve Softball Field recording eight runs on eight hits, with five players etching at least one hit and two with multiple hit games. Leading the Orange and Brown was Lines going 3-for-4, including a double, three RBIs, one run scored and a walk-off single to end the game. Also with a multiple hit game for BG was Wiemer going 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI and one run scored.
In the circle Wiemer picked up her ninth win and second shutout of the season, matching her career high with 10 strikeouts and only giving up four hits. The win marked Wiemer's 51st career victory now tied for third in the all-time BGSU record books with Lisa Mountjoy.
The Falcons 8-0 victory over Kent State marked the second time the Falcons have run ruled the Golden Flashes with the first time also coming at home in 1999 as BG won 10-2 in six innings. The victory also marked head coach Shannon Salsburg's first victory against her former team on the Falcons home field.
The Falcons will return to the action as they square off against the Golden Flashes tomorrow (April 26) in game two of the weekend series with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Tomorrow's game is also Senior Day for the Falcons as the BGSU softball program will honor their lone senior Hayley Wiemer in a pre-game ceremony schedule to begin a 12:45 p.m.
