Falcons Put Together Complete Effort To Sweep Detroit

Wednesday, April 20

Bowling Green, Ohio

3:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

Detroit

April 20, 2011 | Softball

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

Game 1 Boxscore - Bowling Green 14, Detroit 0
Game 2 Boxscore - Bowling Green 8, Detroit 3
Photo Gallery

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green softball team pounded out 22 runs and gave up just five total hits in two games as the Falcons swept Detroit 14-0 and 8-3 Wednesday to build a season-long three-game winning streak.

Erin Greenwalt threw a one-hitter in a five-inning complete game in the opener, while Paige Berger and Andrea Arney combined to drive in 11 runs on the day. The 14 runs scored in the opener is the most for the team since a 15-2 win at Miami (Ohio) on April 25, 2000 and the 22 runs in a doubleheader is the most for a BGSU team since the team also scored 22 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Florida A&M on March 24, 1992.

The Falcons got the offense rolling immediately in the opener, scoring twice in the first inning. Hannah Fulk opened with a walk and Rachel Proehl singled. The duo pulled off a double steal and Berger singled to center field to drive home Fulk. Proehl came around to score on a fielder's choice to make it 2-0 after one.

While Greenwalt was shutting down the Detroit bats, Bowling Green added to the lead with a three-run second and a five-run third. Fulk drove in a run with an RBI double in the second and eventually scored on Berger's first of two triples on the day. Proehl also scored to make it 5-0.

In the third, the Falcons scored those five runs on just three hits but were helped by three Detroit errors. Adrienne Dick doubled down the left field line to start the inning and Melissa West drove her home with an RBI single. West and Lindsay Arney both scored thanks to errors and Andrea Arney eventually blasted a two-run homer to left center to make it 10-0.

The Falcons continued to pour it on with four more runs in the fourth and Missy Bowman opened the frame with a pinch hit single. She came around on a Lindsey Arney single, who scored on a Proehl RBI single. Berger drove in two more runs later in the inning for the 14-0 final.

Greenwalt picked up her first collegiate victory in the circle by allowing just one first-inning hit and striking out eight batters over five innings. Berger ended the game 3-for-4 with five RBI and Proehl was 2-for-4 with four runs scored. Andrea Arney had three RBI and Fulk went 1-for-1 with three walks, scoring three runs.

In game two, Detroit actually struck quickly with two runs on two hits in the first inning. Zada Lines came on in relief and began to shut down the Titans, giving the Falcons time to come back offensively.

Bowling Green cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second as Bowman drew a two-out walk and Erika Stratton doubled to left center to drive her home. With the score still 2-1, the Falcons posted four runs in the fourth with help from a pitcher who struggled to find the strike zone. Bowling Green drew three two-out bases loaded walks to take a 5-2 lead.

Detroit got a run back in the top of the fifth with the help of a Bowling Green error but the Falcons scored twice in the bottom half of the inning on Fulk's fourth homer of the year. The team added one more in the sixth as Berger led off the frame with a triple and scored on Andrea Arney's sacrifice fly.

Lines got the win for Bowling Green, going the final 6.0 innings and giving up just two hits to improve to 4-7 on the season. Berger went 2-for-3 as did Bowman. Fulk and Andrea Arney both drove in a pair of runs.

During the team's three-game winning streak, Bowling Green has scored 32 runs, the most since the team had 32 in that doubleheader sweep of Florida A&M on March 24, 1992 and followed that up two days later with a 10-1 win at Stetson.

Detroit falls to 5-27 with the losses and Bowling Green improves to 7-24. The Falcons will head on the road for four conference games this weekend beginning with a doubleheader at Northern Illinois Friday at 1 p.m.