Falcons Hold Off Late Rally To Defeat NIU In MAC Opener

Friday, March 28

DeKalb, IL

4 P.M.

Bowling Green State University

10-14, 0-1

Northern Illinois University

10-14-1, 1-0

Northern Illinois

Bowling Green

Amanda Durham (pictured) was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.

March 28, 2014 | Softball

Box Score

Freshman Amanda Durham was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.

By: by Jake Dorow, Athletic Communications

BOXSCORE (HTML)

DEKALB, Ill. – The Bowling Green State University softball team jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held off a late rally to defeat visiting Northern Illinois University on Friday afternoon, by a score of 6-4 in a Mid-American Conference showdown. Originally scheduled to play at Meserve field, the Falcons (10-14-1, 1-0) had to play host the Huskies (10-14-, 0-1) on unfamiliar dirt at Mary M. Bell Field, as the Orange and Brown put up a season-high 13 hits en route to earning their first win in MAC play.

Senior Katie Yoho led an aggressive approach at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a home run to lead Bowling Green. Amanda Durham followed suite with a career-best three hits (3-for-4, two runs) and Haley Schrock also recorded three hits (3-for-3, one RBI) in the winning effort. In all, seven Orange and Brown members accumulated at least one hit in the batter's box against the NIU.

"We came out aggressive early and fought off a tough team today," Falcons head coach Shannon Salsburg said. "I was proud of approach we had at the plate."

The Orange and Brown also got a strong pitching performance from junior Jamie Kertes. Kertes (6-10), who was credited with the win, allowed four unearned runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings of work. Sophomore Braiden Dillow also saw time in the circle, tossing the final two outs of the game to earn her first save of the season.

"Jamie threw great today against Northern Illinois," Salsburg said. "She (Kertes) battled every inning and gave us a chance to win the game today."

The Falcons wasted little time to plate the first runs of the game, as Yoho it a two-run homer over the right field fence to hand the Orange and Brown an early 2-0 lead. Durham, who scored on Yoho's homer run, reached base by an error on the center fielder earlier in the inning.

After Kertes retired the side in the top of the second, Bowling Green continued their offensive aggressiveness in the bottom half of the frame. Freshman Madison Schrock led off the inning with a double to left field and Aspen Searle followed with an RBI single to right center, giving BGSU a 3-0 lead. The inning continued as Yoho singled up the middle for her third RBI in the game, handing the Orange and Brown a 4-0 advantage. The red-hot Falcons weren't done, as freshman Chelsea Raker's sacrifice fly ball scored Searle from third base for their largest lead of the game.

Trailing 5-0 entering the third inning, the Huskies answered with a run in the top of the third inning, cutting into the Falcon deficit to within 5-1. However, Kertes pitched three consecutive scoreless innings to keep the game in control.

Bowling Green scored once more in the fourth inning, as Durham tripled down the left field line to open the frame. Yoho, who entered the game with a team-leading 24 hits, followed with an RBI single to scored Durham and hand BGSU a commanding 6-1 lead.

Durham fell just shy of hitting for the cycle, as the Sayreville, N.J. native accumulated a single, double and triple in the contest.

NIU, trailing 6-1 entering the final frame, rallied with three runs in the inning. The Huskies loaded the bases to begin the final inning and capitalized on a few errors to cut the Falcon lead to within 6-4. Dillow, who relieved Kertes in the final frame, forced back-to-back ground outs to help the Falcons come out victorious in the conference opener.

"Today was a great start to opening MAC play," Salsburg said. "We are looking forward to another day of improving and coming out aggressive."

The Falcons will be right back in action tomorrow afternoon, taking on Northern Illinois at Mary M. Bell Field at 2 p.m. The Orange and Brown will then conclude the weekend with a twinbill against Western Michigan on Sunday, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.