Friday's First Frame Fruitful for Falcons

Friday, February 20

Charleston, S.C.

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

4-1

Winthrop

4-7

Winthrop

Bowling Green

Emily McClelland had a 2-run single as part of a 6-run first inning for the Falcons

February 20, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

BGSU strikes early for 6-1 win over Winthrop as Cougar Classic begins

By: MT. PLEASANT, S.C. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team struck early on Friday afternoon (Feb. 20), erupting for a six-run first inning in a 6-1 defeat of Winthrop University. The game, the Falcons' first contest in the 2015 Cougar Classic, was held at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

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With the win, the Falcons improve to 4-1 on the season, while dropping the Eagles to 4-7 on the year.

"I was pleased with the way we came out offensively," said BGSU head coach Shannon Salsburg. "We batted through the lineup in the first inning and really put them on their heels. I want to see us continue to attack with the intent to put the opponent away. Defensively, we were solid, fighting our way out of innings."

Freshman Morgan Evangelista had two hits to pace BG's seven-hit attack, and Evangelista and senior Emily McClelland each drove in two runs in the win.

In the circle, senior Jamie Kertes improved to 2-1 on the young season, allowing one run and five hits through four-and-two-thirds innings of work. Junior Braiden Dillow did not allow a hit in two-and-a-third innings of relief work.

The Eagles got on the board in the top of the first. After Paige Haley drew a leadoff walk, Zharne Glover moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Haley came home on a single up the middle by Maddie Antone. Kertes then got the final two outs of the inning on just three pitches, inducing a popup to third base and a liner to second. The Falcons, however, would respond in a big way.

BG sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first, scoring six times. Sophomore Aspen Searle drew a leadoff walk against Winthrop starting pitcher Sara Allen, and juniors Marina Cobbs singled through the left side of the Eagles' infield on the first pitch she saw. BG loaded the bases when sophomore Trista Mokienko reached on an infield single, with the runners each moving up one base. Allen got a strikeout for the first out of the inning, but with Evangelista at the plate, a wild pitch scored Searle to tie the game.

Then, Evangelista proceeded to single up the middle to plate Cobbs and Mokienko for a 3-1 Falcon lead. sophomore Haley Schrock singled through the left side, putting runners at first and second, and one out later, McClelland's single scored two more runs and chased Allen. Reliever Dallas King got the final out of the inning, but the Brown and Orange had a 5-1 lead.

McClelland, who had taken second base on a throw home, then scored when junior Molly Holliday hit a looping liner past the third baseman and down the left-field line for a double.

Through five games in 2015, the Falcons have outscored opponents by a 19-1 count in the first inning.

King was masterful in relief for the Eagles, allowing only two hits in five-plus innings. She walked one batter and struck out eight, but the damage had been done.

Kertes, staked to that 6-1 lead after an inning, kept the Eagles off the board in the second inning, allowing only a one-out infield single. But, King set down the Falcons in the bottom of the frame, striking out the side and allowing just a one-out walk.

The top of the third inning saw two Winthrop runners reach base, but none crossed the plate. Haley was hit by a pitch to start the inning, but was erased at second on a grounder. A Kertes pitch then hit Antone, however, putting runners on first and second. But, Kertes worked out of the jam, getting a grounder to short to erase the lead runner before inducing Leah Young to hit a harmless ground ball to third base to end the inning.

In the fourth, Allen led off with a single for the WU, and Allen attempted to steal second, but was gunned down by Falcon freshman catcher Lauren Newmark, making her BG debut. Newmark had replaced Evangelista behind the plate an inning earlier. Searle applied the tag on Allen for the first out of the fourth. Tara Loken singled, but was erased on a grounder to third for the second out, and another ground ball to third ended the inning.

In the Winthrop half of the fifth, Glover singled up the middle with one down, and Antone was hit by a pitch for the second time in as many plate appearances, putting runners at first and second. Kertes got a lazy fly ball to center on the next pitch, and Dillow replaced Kertes in the circle and got Young to hit an inning-ending grounder to second base.

Evangelista re-entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, and laced a two-out double down the left-field line. But, King worked out of it, getting a fly ball for the third out.

Dillow worked a one-two-three sixth inning, sandwiching two grounders around a strikeout of Loken. Then, in the seventh, Dillow walked the leadoff hitter, but got a fielder's choice, a strikeout and a grounder back to the circle to seal the win.

The Falcons continue action at the Cougar Classic with a pair of games on Saturday (Feb. 21). BGSU faces Massachusetts at 10:00 a.m., then meets the host College of Charleston in a 2:30 p.m. start.