Three-Run Fourth Lifts Falcons Past NIU, 3-1

Saturday, April 17

Bowling Green, Ohio

2:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Northern Illinois

Junior Melissa Bott allowed just two NIU hits in five innings in the circle, and also had a two-run single in Saturday's win

April 17, 2010 | Softball

Bott picks up win, helps own cause with two-run single

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Junior pitchers Melissa Bott and Zada Lines combined on a three-hitter, and Bott helped her own cause at the plate, as the Bowling Green State University softball team downed Northern Illinois University by a 3-1 count Saturday afternoon (April 17). The Mid-American Conference game was held at Meserve Field.

Final Boxscore - PDF

With the win, the Falcons improve to 10-15 overall and 6-3 in the MAC, while dropping the Huskies to 17-24 and 6-5, respectively.

Bott went five innings in the circle, allowing just one unearned run and two hits, to pick up the win. She walked two hitters and struck out two in improving to 5-7 on the season.

Lines pitched the final two innings, allowing just one baserunner on a sixth-inning single, to pick up the first save of her collegiate career. Lines struck out two hitters and did not issue a walk.

For her part, NIU pitcher Monica Segura allowed just three hits in a complete-game effort. She struck out seven batters, but walked six. Two of those walks turned into runs.

Segura held the Falcons hitless through three innings, but BG batted around in the fourth. The Falcons' three runs and three hits in the game all came in that fourth frame, with three BGSU batters drawing bases on balls in the inning.

Freshman Paige Berger led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to left field. The line drive hit the lower part of the wall on the fly, with Berger just beating the throw to second. One out later, senior Susan Sontag drew a walk, and freshman Adrienne Dick also walked to load the bases.

That brought Bott to the plate. She entered the at-bat with just one hit and no runs batted in on the year, but blooped a single over first baseman Jennifer Barnett's head. The ball landed just inside the right-field line as both Berger and Sontag came around to score. Falcon junior Lindsay Arney, the centerfielder and flex player in head coach Shannon Salsburg's lineup, advanced to second on the play.

Pinch-hitter Missy Bowman grounded out to the right side of the infield, but advanced the runners to second and third. Freshman Hannah Fulk walked to load the bases once again, and sophomore Rachel Proehl hit a slow roller toward first base. Barnett grabbed the ball and threw to second baseman Andrea Colosimo who was covering the bag, but the speedy Proehl beat the throw as Arney crossed the plate with the Falcons' third run. Segura avoided further damage by getting a grounder for a force play at second.

The Huskies had nearly gotten on the board in the top of the first, as Colosimo laced a two-out double to right-center. The next batter, Michelle Williams, hit a grounder back to pitcher Bott, who threw to first. The umpire ruled that Bott's throw had pulled first baseman Berger off the bag, allowing Colosimo to score from second on the play. But, after a conference between the umps, Williams was ruled out at first and the half-inning was over.

The Falcons got a runner as far as third base in the bottom of the second, as freshman Andrea Arney walked, stole second and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Dick. But, Segura got an infield popup to end the threat.

Northern broke through in the third inning, scoring a run without benefit of a hit. Kate Welsh drew a leadoff walk, and took second on a sac bunt by Zoe Sinner. Amanda Sheppard grounded out to shortstop, but Welsh took off for third on the throw to first and beat the return throw across the infield. With two outs, Welsh was able to score when a grounder by Colosimo was misplayed for a BGSU error.

The Huskies put a runner in scoring position in the top of the fourth on a single and a stolen base, but Bott struck out Alex Wulbecker for the third out, setting the stage for BG's three runs in the bottom half of the frame.

After BG took the lead by virtue of that fourth-inning uprising, the Huskies threatened again in the fifth. Welsh reached on an error, and promptly stole second base on the next pitch. Then, Sinner lined a pitch into the gap in right-center, but rightfielder Proehl robbed her of extra bases with a spectacular diving catch. One out later, another BGSU error put runners at the corners. But, catcher Dick combined with shortstop Fulk to cut down Welsh at home as NIU attempted a double steal.

In the bottom of the fifth, Berger, BGSU's home-run leader with nine, crushed a Segura pitch to left. But, the wind was blowing in at over 20 mph. What might have been a homer on another day was simply a fly ball to left on this afternoon, and leftfielder Sheppard made the catch. Segura then struck out the next two batters.

Lines replaced Bott in the circle to begin the sixth. She allowed a one-out single up the middle off the bat of Barnett, but struck out Segura and induced Whitney Owens to pop up to third base. Melissa West made the catch in foul ground in front of the BGSU dugout for the third out.

In the seventh, Lines worked a one-two-three inning, as Wulbecker grounded out to short, Welsh struck out swinging and Sinner grounded to third. West initially had difficulty handling Sinner's grounder, but picked up the ball and fired to first to get her by half a step.

Both teams, as mentioned, had three hits, and both the Falcons and the Huskies left six runners on base. The Falcons are now 6-3 in the MAC and 6-3 at home this season, as the current homestand (BG's only homestand of the season) began with the conference opener two weekends ago.

Through Saturday's action around the MAC, the Falcons sit in a tie for second place in the East Division. BGSU and Ohio are each 6-3 in conference play, a game behind division-leading Kent State (7-2).

The Falcons close the home portion of the 2010 schedule with Sunday afternoon's (April 18) game vs. NIU. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., and the team's two seniors, Sontag and Karmen Coffey, will be recognized in 'Senior Day' festivities prior to the game.