Three-Run Fifth Lifts Indiana Past Falcons, 3-2

Thursday, March 12

Bloomington, Ind.

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

5-10

Indiana

6-18

Bowling Green

Indiana

Aspen Searle - April 16 2014 - BGSU Softball

Sophomore Aspen Searle was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles on Thursday at Indiana

March 12, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

BGSU can't capitalize on early opportunities

By: BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Host Indiana University scored three times in the fifth inning, rallying for a 3-2 win over the Bowling Green State University softball team Thursday afternoon (March 12). The non-conference game was held at Andy Mohr Field.

The Hoosiers (6-18) rallied from a one-run deficit in that fifth frame, getting three-straight two-out hits to take the lead for good. The Falcons (5-10) got a run back in the sixth inning, cutting IU's lead in half, but BGSU could draw no closer.

Sophomore Aspen Searle had a big game for the Falcons, going 3-for-4 at the plate. Searle had a pair of doubles, a run scored and a run batted in.

Searle now has seven doubles and 10 total extra-base hits this season to date, after recording five doubles and nine extra-base hits during all of last season.

Junior Marina Cobbs and sophomore Haley Schrock each had a pair of hits vs. the Hoosiers.

"Today we put a complete game together," said BGSU head coach Shannon Salsburg. "It is disappointing to leave without a win. We continue to focus on pushing across runs early when we have people in scoring position. We are still missing out on big opportunities that we believe can really put our opponents on their heels.

"Defensively our pitchers threw well. They made solid pitches and worked out of jams. We just need to find a way to come up with a few more plays."

The Falcons could not capitalize on several early opportunities to take the lead. For the second-straight game, BGSU pounded out 10 hits. But, also for the second consecutive contest, the Brown and Orange left nine runners on base.

Searle got the hit parade started, with a double on the game's first pitch off of IU starter Lora Olson. Junior Molly Holliday followed by looping a single to leftfield, with Searle heading to third. Holliday advanced to second on an error by IU leftfielder Shannon Cawley.

But, Olson and the Hoosiers got out of the jam. After a strikeout produced the first out, sophomore Trista Mokienko lined a ball to IU second baseman Erin Lehman, resulting in an inning-ending double play.

Falcon starter Jamie Kertes saw an IU runner reach base on a one-out error, but that runner, Rebecca Blitz, was promptly caught stealing, as catcher Morgan Evangelista fired to shortstop Searle for the second out. Kertes then struck out Kelsey Dotson to end the frame.

In the second inning, just as in the first, BG put the first two runners aboard, but could not break on top. Schrock singled up the middle, and senior Chloe Giordano's single to left put runners at first and second. But, a hard liner by Evangelista was stabbed by third baseman Taylor Uden for the first out, and a strikeout and infield grounder kept the game scoreless after an inning and a half.

The game remained 0-0 after two innings as well, as Cawley led off the bottom of the second with a single, but Kertes then struck out Brianna Meyer. Michelle Huber singled to left, but Kertes induced Katelyn Conenna to hit a grounder to third, where Giordano retired the lead runner before firing to first baseman Kayla Koch for a double play that retired the side.

Searle began the third inning with her second double of the game, putting the leadoff runner aboard for BG for the third-straight inning. One out later, Cobbs singled up the middle to plate Searle with the game's first run.

Again, though, BGSU could not take advantage of a chance to score more runs. Mokienko was hit by a pitch, and Schrock's infield single loaded the bases with just one out. A strikeout produced the second out, though, and a grounder to third ended the threat.

The Hoosiers loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk in the bottom of the third, but Kertes got a ground ball to Giordano for an inning-ending force play. BG was retired in order in the top of the fourth inning, but Kertes worked a one-two-three bottom of the fourth to keep the Falcons in front.

BGSU got a Cobbs single and stolen base in the fifth, and Schrock was hit by an Olson pitch, but a grounder to the left side ended that inning. In the bottom of the frame, the Hoosiers rallied to take the lead.

Rachel O'Malley was hit by a pitch to begin the inning, but Kertes then got the next two outs, throwing a third strike past Uden and getting Blitz to hit a fly ball to left. But, IU strung together three-straight hits. After O'Malley stole second, Lehman's double down the right-field line brought her home to tie the game. Dotson then singled to left to plate Lehman with the go-ahead run, and Cawley's double to center plated pinch-runner Alyssa Rosati for a 3-1 Indiana lead. Sophomore Briana Combs replaced Kertes in the circle and got the final out of the inning.

In the sixth, Evangelista blasted an Olson offering to the wall in center for a leadoff double, and a one-out grounder by freshman pinch-hitter Kayla Gregory moved pinch-runner Marisa Shook to third. She scored from there on Searle's sharp single to left. But, Olson got a grounder to third for the third out.

Combs allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth, and after a sacrifice bunt, O'Malley's base hit put runners at the corners. Junior Braiden Dillow entered the game, and struck out Uden. Then, senior second baseman Emily McClelland made a nifty stop of a Blitz grounder, firing to first to end the threat.

But, the Falcons were retired in order in the top of the seventh, and Olson and the Hoosiers had the victory.
Olson allowed two runs and 10 hits in her complete-game effort. She did not walk a batter, but she hit two Falcons while striking out five.

Kertes, the first of three BG pitchers, allowed three runs and eight hits in four-and-two-thirds innings of work. Kertes issued one walk and whiffed three Hoosiers. Both Combs and Dillow pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief.

Four Hoosiers had two hits apiece, with Lehman scoring one run and driving in another. O'Malley was a perfect 2-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and a run scored.

The Falcons remain in Bloomington for this weekend's IU Hoosier Classic. BGSU is scheduled to play six games in the tourney, which runs from Friday through Sunday (March 13-15). Weather permitting, BGSU will play IPFW and North Dakota State on Friday (March 13), with the IPFW game slated for an 11:30 a.m. start and the NDSU contest scheduled to begin at 1:45 p.m.