Big Bats Catapult Falcons Past Western Carolina; Fall to No. 8 Georgia

Friday, February 19

Athens, Georgia

1:15 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Western Carolina

Big Bats Catapult Falcons Past Western Carolina; Fall to No. 8 Georgia

February 19, 2010 | Softball

Two senior sluggers and two freshmen smash home runs on the opening day of tournament play

By: by Hannah Archer, Athletic Communications Intern

BGSU vs. Western Carolina Box Score

BGSU vs. Georgia Box Score

ATHENS, Georgia—The Bowling Green State University softball team split two games on the opening day of the Red and Black Classic in Athens, Ga. In its opening game against the Western Carolina Catamounts (0-2), BGSU overpowered WCU 10-5, battling back from a 5-0 first inning deficit. Freshmen Hannah Fulk and and Paige Berger recorded their first career home runs in 19-4 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.

With the first day of the Red and Black Classic under wraps, head coach Shannon Slasburg and the Falcons have posted a 2-4 record on the season.

Big Bats Late in the Game Drive Falcons Past Catamounts

The Orange and Brown squad had a slow start to the game, giving up five runs in the first inning. By the end of the first, the game looked bleak for the Falcons as they were unable to answer the five Catamount runs in the first two innings; but with a late push in game, the Falcons overcame the five-point deficit to end the game 10-5.

Seniors Karmen Coffey and Susan Sontag led the Falcons offensively, recording one homerun and two RBIs each. Junior Zada Lines fronted the Orange and Brown defense from the circle allowing only three Catamount hits and no runs from the second through the seventh innings. Lines had nine strikeouts and only one walk in the six innings she was on the mound.

BGSU's offense was cranked into action in the bottom of the third with a single up the middle from Coffey. Coffey was then able to advance to third on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Andrea Arney. Following Arney in the lineup was freshman Hannah Fulk who was walked, but stole second on the next play, giving Coffey the perfect opportunity to steal home and record the Falcons first run of the game.

From there, the Falcon offense was unstoppable.

In keeping up with and expanding on the Falcon momentum from the third inning, BGSU recorded two hits and four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Reaching home plate for the Falcons were freshman Paige Berger on a bunt down the third baseline by Andrea Arney; freshman Courtney Cox on a fielding error by WCU's shortstop; Andrea Arney on a walk; and Coffey on a fielder's choice to second.

The fifth and sixth innings were no different for BGSU as they recorded five more hits and ran home for just as many runs. Big sticks from BGSU's senior sluggers propelled the Falcons to ten unanswered points.

In the fifth inning, Sontag smashed a triple to centerfield, recording her first RBI, bringing home Cox from first. Sontag was then able to score on a wild pitch to Coffey who then crushed a home run over centerfield; her second of the season. Before the inning was over, Fulk nailed a double to left center. The Falcons ended the inning with an 8-5 lead.

Following Coffey's lead, Sontag hurled a homer down the right field line in the bottom of the sixth for her first home run of the season and her 15^th as a Falcon. Sontag's home run brought home Berger who had been walked a play earlier.

With the Catamounts unable to reach home plate in the top of the sixth and seventh innings and the Falcons earning two additional runs in the sixth, increasing the lead to 10-5, the Falcons would not need their sticks in the bottom of the seventh to win the game.

“Overall it was a great team win,” said Salsburg. “We did a lot of the little things right and that made a big difference. Zada came in and just shut them down and the team had clutch hitting, especially by seniors Karmen Coffey and Susan Sontag. Andrea Arney also had a big suicide hit for the team.”

Falcons “Smashing” Game not Enough for Bulldogs

Two more Orange and Brown sluggers smashed out-of-the-park homers for the Falcons in a 19-4 loss to the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs (5-1) in five innings.

The Falcons made a mid-game run in the top of the third when freshmen Hannah Fulk and Paige Berger each added a homerun and an RBI to their softball resumes; each a career first for the young Falcons. Fulk's homer brought home junior Lindsey Arney from second while Berger followed suit a play later, running in sophomore Melissa West. By the start of the bottom of the third, the Falcons had inched closer to the Bulldogs bringing the score to 4-6.

But, by the end of bottom of the third BGSU surrendered 13 runs, giving the Bulldogs a 19-4 lead. Neither the Falcons nor the Bulldogs were able to score throughout the rest of the game.

The Falcons had five hits and four runs in the game. Adding hits for the Falcons were Rachel Proehl with a single in the first and Missy Bowman with a double in the third.

The Falcons finished the day with 13 hits and nine runs. Defensively, the Orange and Brown had a total of 23 putouts.

The Falcons are back in action tomorrow (Feb. 20) at 12:15 p.m. against the Winthrop Eagles.