Falcons Close Season With 7-3 Win Over Akron On Senior Day

Sunday, May 8

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

Akron

May 08, 2011 | Softball

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

Boxscore - Bowling Green 7, Akron 3

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University softball team used a five-run fifth inning to rally for a 7-3 win over Akron Sunday in the final game of the 2011 season for both teams. The Falcons ended the year playing their best, winning five of their final six games.

Bowling Green was eliminated from postseason play after starting Mid-American Conference action with a 1-14 record but the Falcons never quit, winning five games in the final two weekends of the regular season, including four walk-off victories and a pair of extra inning wins.

Akron entered the weekend series with an opportunity to make the MAC Tournament with two wins but instead the Falcons swept the Zips, getting a walk-off three-run homer from Paige Berger Saturday and getting another homer and four RBI from the sophomore Sunday.

Bowling Green's Melissa Bott and Akron's Alex Riedeman rolled through the first 3 ½ innings, hardly allowing any base runners. But in the bottom of the fourth, Berger broke the scoreless tie with a two-run homer to right center after Rachel Proehl had led off the inning with an infield single.

With the scoreboard finally cracked, Akron went on top in the fifth when Alex Feltes singled with two outs and moved up to third on a pair of wild pitches. Katie Gross singled through the left side and Olivia Hegedus hit her 15th homer of the season to put the Zips on top 3-2.

But the Falcons struck back with a big inning in the bottom of the fifth. Erika Stratton singled to open the inning and Melissa West followed with a base hit. Lindsay Arney then hit a comebacker to the pitcher, who threw the ball away, allowing the tie run to score. Hannah Fulk walked to load the bases and Proehl grounded out to second to push home the second run of the inning, giving Bowling Green a 4-3 lead. With two runners in scoring position, Berger stroked a double to left field to plate two more runs. She eventually scored the final run of the game on a double steal to make it 7-3.

Akron was never able to mount a rally and the Zips lined into a double play in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.

Zada Lines pitched the final 2 1/3 innings in relief to get the victory, finishing the year with a record of 8-8. She allowed only one hit and struck out one. Berger went 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI, while Proehl went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Akron's season comes to a close with a record of 24-24 overall and 8-13 in MAC play. Bowling Green finishes at 12-32 overall and 6-15 in conference action.