Falcon Offense Dormant In Losses To Buffalo

Saturday, April 2

Bowling Green, Ohio

2:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

Buffalo

April 02, 2011 | Softball

By: by Jason Knavel, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

Game 1 Boxscore - Buffalo 3, Bowling Green 0
Game 2 Boxscore - Buffalo 9, Bowling Green 1

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green softball team scored just one run as the Falcons dropped a home doubleheader to Buffalo Saturday, losing 3-0 and 9-1. The Falcon defense, which has been one of the best in the Mid-American Conference this year, had five errors in game two, accounting for eight unearned runs.

The two teams were scheduled to play just one game Saturday and another Sunday but the schedule was moved to a Saturday doubleheader because of impending weather. Playing through howling wind and two short rain delays, Bowling Green had just eight hits on the day, all singles.

In the opener, Zada Lines took the hill and she threw a no-hitter through the first four innings, facing the minimum until the fifth. Rachel Proehl and Paige Berger had hits in the first and a double steal by those two put both in scoring position with just one out. But a strikeout and fly out kept BGSU from getting on the board first.

Buffalo finally got to Lines in the fifth as Alex Bejarano got a leadoff single, but the next batter, Jessica Griffin, popped out to the catcher on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Alyssa Ward then singled and Andi Saucier followed with a double that plated both runs and broke the scoreless tie. Saucier moved to third on the throw to the plate and then scored on a sac fly to make it 3-0.

The Bulls staved off a rally attempt in the bottom of the fifth as Melissa West was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a two-out single. The Falcons again had a runner on second in the sixth but she was stranded there and Bowling Green went down in order in the seventh.

Both Proehl and Berger went 2-for-3 in the game and West had the team's only other hit. Lines took the loss by allowing three earned runs in 4.1 innings. Melissa Bott went the final 2.2 innings, giving up three hits and striking out two.

Bott pitched in game two and, despite the lopsided 9-1 final, threw a complete game with a solid effort in the circle. She allowed only one earned run as five Bowling Green errors accounted for eight unearned runs. Bott walked just one batter and allowed eight hits.

Buffalo scored five times in the second inning, helped by two Falcon errors. The Bulls put up three more in the fourth with the help of another error. The Falcons scored their only run of the day in the bottom of the fourth with one out singles from Berger and Erika Stratton. An error loaded the bases and a wild pitch allowed Berger to score. The Bulls put the game away in the fifth on a single and a three-base error that allowed Ward to come all the way home.

Buffalo improves to 8-20 overall and 3-1 in MAC play, while Bowling Green falls to 4-17 and 0-4 in league action. The Falcons will hit the field again Friday for a doubleheader at Eastern Michigan, beginning at 1 p.m.