BGSU Softball Upended Late By Western Michigan

Sunday, April 24

Kalamazoo, Mich.

1:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

Western Michigan

April 24, 2011 | Softball

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

Boxscore - Western Michigan 5, Bowling Green 4

Kalamazoo, Mich. – The Bowling Green softball team led for much of the afternoon Sunday but Western Michigan scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to defeat the Falcons 5-4 in Mid-American Conference action.

Paige Berger went 2-for-4 and drove in Bowling Green's first three runs but the Falcons were outhit 12-5 in the contest. Despite the lopsided hit totals, BGSU quickly showed that it would have more offensive output than a day ago when Western Michigan pitched a shutout.

Hannah Fulk opened the game with a walk and moved to second on Rachel Proehl's sacrifice bunt. Berger then singled to drive her in and make it 1-0. Western Michigan answered right back in the bottom of the first as Meredith Whitney took the second pitch of the game from Zada Lines and planted it over the left field wall to tie the score.

Lines settled down and got through the first inning but the Broncos struck again in the bottom of the second. A pair of walks followed by an RBI single put Western Michigan on top 2-1 but Bowling Green took the lead right back in the top of the third.

Lindsay Arney had a bunt single and Fulk reached on a fielder's choice in which Western Michigan did not record an out. Two batters later, Berger doubled down the left field line to drive in a pair and give the Falcons a 3-2 lead.

Bowling Green tacked on another run in the top of the fourth as Missy Bowman led off the frame by being hit by a pitch. She went to third on groundouts by Melissa West and Arney. After Fulk walked, Proehl singled through the left side for the insurance run.

Still trailing 4-2, Western Michigan went to work in the bottom of the fifth and cut the deficit in half with two singles, a sacrifice bunt, and a wild pitch.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Broncos took the lead for good as Michelle Bendewald led off the inning with a double. Whitney singled to put runners on the corners and a Tara Buchanan single tied the game. Whitney eventually scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly. Bowling Green went down in order in the seventh to end the game.

Lines went five innings, allowing 10 hits and four earned runs but did not record a decision. Erin Greenwalt came on to pitch the sixth and took the loss, falling to 1-9 on the year. Along with Berger's two-hit performance, Lindsay Arney went 2-for-3 also.

Western Michigan improves to 16-24 overall and 10-4 in MAC play with the win. Bowling Green falls to 7-27 overall and 1-12 in league action. The Falcons will return home for a 10-game homestand to end the regular season. Bowling Green hosts IPFW Tuesday in a non-conference doubleheader at 2 p.m.