Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Wrap-Up the 2009 Regular Season
April 28, 2009 | Softball
April 28, 2009
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University softball head coach Shannon Salsburg and the Falcons are set to the wrap-up the last week of the 2009 regular season as they host their final home games in a doubleheader against Wright State Wednesday (April 29) starting at 3:00 p.m. The Falcons will then pack their bags and hit the road for two crucial Mid-American Conference match-ups to end the regular season. The Falcons will start the weekend off with a Friday (May 1) doubleheader against Central Michigan at 1:00 p.m. and finish with a two game weekend series against Eastern Michigan Saturday (May 2) at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday (May 3) at 1:00 p.m.
FALCONS LIVE FROM MESERVE SOFTBALL FIELD
For all Falcon fans that can't make it to the live action at the Meserve Softball Field the BGSU softball team will be live via Gametracker for all home games. Falcon fans can follow the team via Gametracker by visiting BGSUFalcons.com. The Falcons will also be live via Gametracker for Friday's doubleheader against Central Michigan along with a live radio broadcast of the games available at www.CMUChippewas.com. However, in BG's two game series against Eastern Michigan the Falcons will be live via www.EMUEagles.com.
ON DECK FOR THE FALCONS...
Wright State • Raiders • 4/29 • 3:00 p.m./5:00 p.m.
The Falcons will wrap-up their 2009 home schedule at the Meserve Softball Field against regional opponent Wright State ... the Raiders are currently 29-17 overall and 15-6 in the Horizon League on a 10-game winning streak ... last weekend in Horizon League play the Raiders Loyola in a three game weekend series (8-2, 5-2, 6-2) ... not only are the Falcons and Raiders close in distance but also have something in common as Raiders' pitcher Sharon Palma was formerly a Falcon during her freshman season ... the Falcons own the all-time series and are undefeated 8-0 against the Raiders overall and 6-0 at home ... the entire all-time series between the Falcons and Raiders up until this season was between 1990-1993 where the teams faced off twice each season ... the last meeting between the two teams was in 1993 as the Falcons defeated the Raiders 3-1 and 4-0 in Bowling Green.
IN THE HOLE FOR THE FALCONS...
Central Michigan • Chippewas • 5/1 • 1:00 p.m./3:00 p.m.
BG will started their last weekend of the regular season off against Central Michigan ... the Chippewas are currently 9-30 overall and 1-16 in the MAC on a nine game losing streak ... last weekend in MAC play the Chippewas fell to Northern Illinois (0-3, 0-3) and Western Michigan (3-6, 2-5) ... the Chippewas are one of two West division opponents to lead the Falcons in their all-time series 16-63 ... the last meeting between the two teams was during the Falcons opening weekend last year as BG defeated the Chippewas 7-6 in eight innings.
Eastern Michigan • Eagles • 5/2 • 2:00 p.m. & 5/3 • 1:00 p.m.
The Falcons will face off against MAC West division opponent Eastern Michigan to end the 2009 regular season ... the Eagles are currently 17-29 overall and 5-13 in the MAC, after falling in a doubleheader to Western Michigan (5-10, 2-3) and splitting a two game series with Northern Illinois (4-5, 5-8) ... the Falcons are soaring over the Eagles 46-34 in the all-time series ... last season the two teams met three time during the regulars season with the Falcons posting a 2-1 record against the Eagles ... the Falcons are on a two game winning streak after sweeping them in a doubleheader last season ... the last meeting between the two teams was BG's 2008 doubleheader season opener as the Falcons swept the Eagles (3-0, 9-4).
WIEMER'S BIG STICK EARNS HER ANOTHER MAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior co-captain Hayley Wiemer, Sylvania, Ohio native was name Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week announced by the conference office (April 28). This is Wiemer's third weekly MAC honor of the season as she was named MAC East Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 17) and MAC East Player of the Week (March 17). Wiemer has garnered MAC East Player of the Week two times previously in her career once this season and once as a sophomore. She is also a four-time MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week and a four-time MAC East Pitcher of the Week. Wiemer led the Falcons to a 2-2 record in the MAC East this past weekend, including BG's upset of Kent State in an 8-0 shutout. Wiemer had an outstanding week at the plate posting a .417 clip and blasting a 1.000 slugging percentage with five hits, three of which were extra base hits, including two home runs, a double, six RBIs and three runs scored. Wiemer's two long balls put her in a league of her own in BG program history as they marked the 30th and 31st of her career, the first Falcon to record 30 homers in her career.
SIX DEGREES OF FALCONS
The Falcons and Raiders are not only regional opponents but also have something in common in the dugout as Raiders' pitcher Sharon Palmer was formerly a Falcon during her freshman season. Palma a former Falcon was teammates with senior Hayley Wiemer and juniors Susan Sontag and Carly Riepenhoff during the 2007 season.
FALCONS AGAINST THE MAC
The Falcons have dominated their MAC East division foes as they own all but one all-time series record. The Falcons lead Akron (43-22-1), Buffalo (15-4), Miami (50-38) and Ohio (52-38). The only team in the MAC East division to lead the Falcons is Kent State (42-50-1). In the MAC West division the Falcons lead four out of the six opponents in the all-time series. The Orange and Brown lead Ball State (47-29), Eastern Michigan (46-34), Northern Illinois (19-15) and arch-rival Toledo (56-33). The only two West teams to lead the Falcons are Central Michigan (16-63) and Western Michigan (28-42).
SALSBURG AGAINST THE MAC
In two seasons at the helm of the Falcons head coach Shannon Salsburg leads seven of the 11 series against Mid-American Conference opponents, is tied with one and only trails- in three. Salsburg and the Falcons lead Akron (5-2), Ball State (5-2), Buffalo (3-1), Miami (4-3), Northern Illinois (4-3), Toledo (6-0) and Western Michigan (4-3) and are tied with Central Michigan (2-2). The three teams to lead the Salsburg and the Falcons are Eastern Michigan (2-4), Kent State (2-4) and Ohio (5-6).
FALCONS UPSET KENT STATE IN 8-0 SHUTOUT
The BGSU softball team stepped up to the challenge yesterday afternoon (April 25) as they upset Kent State in an 8-0 shutout in six innings. The Falcons 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 opponent batting average of .190. A combined effort from a flawless Falcon defense and a stellar performance in the circle from Hayley Wiemer matching a 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.
PEARLS AND GOLD FOR WIEMER
Senior Hayley Wiemer recorded two milestones in Falcons win over Buffalo (April 24) earning pearls and gold. Wiemer hit a pearl of a home run as she recorded her 30th career homer, becoming the first Falcon to accomplish such a feat. Wiemer also recorded a golden victory as she earned her 50th career victory in the circle, the fourth Falcon to do so.
FALCONS SPLIT TWIN BILL WITH BUFFALO
Head coach Shannon Salsburg and the Bowling Green State University softball team split their twin bill against Buffalo (April 24), winning game one 7-1 and falling 1-2 in game two. Despite only taking one of two games against the Bulls, the Falcons out hit (13-9) and out scored (8-3) Buffalo on the day. In game one the Orange and Brown offense tallied 11 hits, their eighth double-digit hit game of the season, also matching their second most hits in a game. In game one eight of the nine Falcon batters recorded at least one hit with three players recording multiple hit games.
SONTAG CONTINUES TO CLIMB THE BG RECORD BOOKS
After crushing her 11th career home run and second of the season against Miami (April 12) and climbing into the BG top-10 career home run list junior Susan Sontag came back the very next game with yet another long ball. Sontag blasted a home run out of the park in right field against Akron (April 17) to record her third homer of the season and 12th career long ball, now tied with former teammate Ashley Zirkle for ninth overall in the BG career record books.
THE "WEST" SIDE OF THE FIELD
A compass normally points North but for Falcon rookie Melissa West her compass points to the "West", whether she is in on the field or at the plate she ends up on the "West" side of the field (third base). West is not only the Falcon's third baseman but also leads the team, is second in the MAC and ranks sixth in the nation averaging 0.15 triples per game and ninth in the nation with five triples on the season. Only 34 games into her collegiate career West has already climbed up the Falcon record books tied for fourth for triples in a season and is only two triples shy of making into the top-15 for career triples in program history.
