Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
BALL STATE
Bowling Green Loses On Opening Day Of MAC Softball Tournament
May 06, 2009 | Softball
May 6, 2009
Akron, Ohio - Top-seeded Ball State used a combination of speed and power to overwhelm the Bowling Green State University softball team in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament Wednesday at Firestone Stadium. The Cardinals pounded out nine hits and stole six bases to defeat the eighth-seeded Falcons 5-0.
Ball State pitcher Elizabeth Milian improved to 21-13 on the season by scattering three Bowling Green hits and allowing just one walk. Hayley Wiemer opposed her on the mound and struck out seven in the complete game loss. Only three of Ball State's five runs were earned as the Falcons committed three errors in the contest.
Momentum swung Ball State's way early in the game as the Cardinals benefited from a couple of plays that could have turned the game Bowling Green's way. With leadoff hitter Lisa Rozanski on third with two outs in the bottom of the first, Alyssa Collins hit a dribbler on the infield dirt and beat out the throw to first on a bang-bang play that put the Cardinals on top 1-0.
Bowling Green appeared to have the game tied in the top of the second when Missy Bowman's two-out rocket to right field looked as if it would clear the temporary fence. But Collins tumbled through the outfield wall and made the catch to rob Bowman of what would have been her third homer of the season.
Amanda Montalto quickly gave Ball State some insurance, leading off the bottom of the second with a no-doubt homer to make it 2-0. The Cardinals would add two more runs in the third and another in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead.
The Falcons showed some life in the top of the seventh as Zada Lines opened the frame with a walk. Susan Sontag followed with a liner up the middle and Bowman was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. But Milian settled down and got Haleigh Bielstein to foul out to the catcher, Katelynn Boso to fly out to center, and Lindsay Arney to strike out to end the threat and the ballgame.
Along with Sontag's hit in the seventh, Boso and Arney each added singles earlier in the contest for Bowling Green's three hits. Rozanski had three of Ball State's six stolen bases, giving her 34 for the year.
Ball State improves to 29-22 with the win and will move on to face No. 4 seed Miami on day two of the MAC Tournament Thursday. Bowling Green, now 13-32, plays in an elimination game Thursday at 2 p.m. against No. 5 seed Northern Illinois, a 2-1 loser to Miami on day one. When the two teams matched up April 4 at Northern Illinois, the doubleheader was a slugfest, with the Huskies prevailing 7-6 and 9-6 even though the Falcons outhit them 23-21 on the day.
