Huge Win for Falcon Sluggers!

Sunday, February 21

Athens, Georgia

9:00 a.m.

Bowling Green State University

VIRGINIA TECH

February 21, 2010 | Softball

BGSU Battles Back Late in the Game to Overcome the Hokies

By: by Hannah Archer, Athletic Communications Intern

BGSU vs. Virginia Tech Box Score

ATHENS, Georgia—On the third and final day of the third annual Red and Black Classic in Athens, Ga., the Bowling Green State University softball squad overcame the Virginia Tech Hokies, 3-2, rallying back for the win in the seventh inning.

Both teams struggled at the plate for a majority of the game, but the Falcons stepped it up in the top of the seventh to take the win. The Orange and Brown squad improves their record to 3-5.

The Hokies (4-5) scored early on in the bottom of the first to take the lead for the better part of the morning matchup, but with the help of two Tech fielding errors in the seventh, the Falcons recorded a series of hits and stolen bases to propel them into the lead.

Senior Susan Sontag launched BGSU's offense into action in the seventh, reaching first on a fielding error by Virginia Tech's first baseman, but was able to advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Andrea Arney. A play later, fellow senior Karmen Coffey was walked, putting two of the Falcons quickest base runners on. And run they did. BGSU's offensive catalyst of game came on the next play with Sontag and Coffey recording a double steal and putting them in perfect scoring position. Pinch-hitting for Lindsey Arney, junior Zada Lines followed up with a clutch hit to center field, bringing home Sontag and Coffey, giving the Falcons its first lead of the game, 2-1. Rounding back to the top of the batting order, freshman Hannah Fulk reached on a dropped ball by Tech's first baseman, allowing Lindsey Arney--who re-entered the game to run for Lines--to reach third base. Keeping up the Falcon momentum, sophomore Rachel Proehl hurled a single to shortstop, bringing Arney home and furthering the Falcon lead, 3-1

Unable to go out quietly, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team battled back in the bottom of the seventh, recording two more hits, including an early home run by Courtney Liddle. But BGSU's defense was too tight for the Hokies final attempts to overcome the Falcons.

“Today was a huge win for us,” said head coach Shannon Salsburg. “It was the first time we put all three phases of the game together. It was a team win all the way.”

Junior Melissa Bott pitched a great game for the Falcons, recording eight strikeouts and allowing only four hits the entire game. Bott's strikeout success in today's game is a new strikeout record for her so far in the 2010 campaign.

“Offensively, we had a tough game, but Melissa pitched an absolutely gem of a game and she had a great defense behind her today,” said Salsburg.

At the Red and Black Classic, the Falcons went 2-2, recorded 26 hits, 19 runs, five homers and 72 putouts.

The Falcon softball squad will return to the diamond in two weeks (March 5-7) to compete in the 2010 Buzz Classic in Woodstock, Ga. Here, the Falcons will play five games in a three-day stretch, facing off against Dartmouth (March 5), Tennessee-Martin (March 5), North Carolina-Greensboro (March 6), Georgia State (March 6) and North Florida (March 7)