Nationally-Ranked U-M Rides Top of Order to 8-1 Win

Wednesday, March 18

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

7-13

Michigan

25-4

Bowling Green

Michigan

Freshman 1B Kayla Koch hit her third home run of the season in Wednesday's game at U-M

March 18, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

Koch's two-hit game includes a homer in Ann Arbor

By: ANN ARBOR, Mich. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The host University of Michigan got production from the top of the batting order Wednesday afternoon (March 18), building an early lead against the Bowling Green State University softball team. The Wolverines, ranked fourth in the nation, went on to an 8-1 win over the Falcons at Alumni Field.

The top-third of the U-M lineup combined for eight of the Wolverines' 12 hits and all eight of the team's runs scored on Wednesday. Leadoff hitter Sierra Lawrence and number-two hitter Kelly Christner each had three hits, while Sierra Romero had two hits.

Freshman Kayla Koch had two of the Falcons' four hits on the day, including a solo home run in the fourth inning. Junior Molly Holliday had a triple vs. the Wolverines, while freshman Morgan Evangelista also had a hit in Wednesday's game.

Lawrence was 3-for-4 at the plate, while Christner went 3-for-3 and Romero 2-for-2. Both Christner and Romero scored three runs, while Lawrence crossed the plate twice.

BG had an early baserunner, as Holliday's line drive with one out in the top of the first inning went all the way to the wall in right-center field. The junior raced to third for her first triple as a Falcon, but U-M starting pitcher Haylie Wagner got a strikeout for the second out, then induced the next batter to hit a grounder to third for the final out.

The hosts took an early lead with three runs off of sophomore Briana Combs in the bottom of the first. Lawrence singled up the middle, stole second and went to third on a single through the right side by Christner. Romero worked a walk to load the bases, and Tera Blanco followed with a single that scored the game's first two runs.

Combs got the next hitter to poke a grounder to second baseman Emily McClelland, and the senior flipped the ball to sophomore shortstop Aspen Searle for a force play at second. The next hitter reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases, and a grounder to the right side of the infield by Amanda Vargas plated the third run of the game. Combs got the next batter to hit another ground ball to McClelland, who beat a runner to second for the third out.

U-M scored two more times in the second inning. Senior Jamie Kertes began the half-inning in the circle, and got Lawrence to hit a popup to Koch at first base. But, Christner hit a bloop single just over the extended glove of McClelland, then after a wild pitch, a single by Romero moved Christner to third. A Blanco groundout scored Christner, and Romero came home on a two-out double by Kelsey Susalla.

BGSU got on the scoreboard in the top of the third, when Koch hit Wagner's first pitch of the inning over the wall in right-center field. The round-tripper was her third of the season, tying her for second on the Falcons.

Kertes worked a one-two-three third inning, striking out the last two batters, and the Falcons got a fourth-inning baserunner as Haley Schrock walked with two outs. But, she was stranded there as the next hitter grounded out to short.

The bottom of the fourth saw the hosts extend the lead to 8-1. After Lawrence led off the inning with an infield hit, Christner and Romero homered on back-to-back pitches. Combs returned to the game and retired the next three batters.

Combs worked out of a jam in the fifth inning. The Wolverines put together three-straight singles to load the bases with one out, but Combs got the next hitter to tap a grounder back to the circle, and she flipped the ball to catcher Evangelista to force the runner at home for the second out. Then, the next hitter, Olivia Richvalsky, hit a blooper that shortstop Searle caught in foul ground just behind third base to end the inning.

BGSU put a pair of runners on base in each of the last two innings, but could not cut into the U-M lead. Blanco replaced Wagner in the circle to begin the sixth, and Searle drew a leadoff walk. She went to second on Holliday's sacrifice bunt, then advanced to third ahead of the U-M shortstop's throw on a grounder by Cobbs. Cobbs stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position, but on a grounder by sophomore Trista Mokienko, Searle was tagged out at the plate, and Blanco got the next hitter to foul out to the third baseman.

Combs set the Wolverines down in order in the bottom of the sixth, and Evangelista singled with one out in the seventh. Koch followed by perfectly placing a blooper that landed between three charging U-M players in shallow right-center, as pinch-runner Sami Parave advanced to second. But, Blanco got the next two batters to hit grounders to the left side, resulting in a force play at third base and a game-ending throw over the first.

Wagner got the win for the Wolverines (25-4), improving her record to 10-2 on the year. She allowed a run and two hits in five innings, walking one batter and striking out five. Blanco also allowed two hits and walked one batter on Wednesday, in two innings of work. At the plate, Blanco had a team-high three RBI.

Combs took the loss, allowing three runs and six hits in four innings of action. She walked two batters and struck out one.

The Falcons (7-13) are now idle from competition for the next week and a half. BGSU's next game comes on Saturday, March 28, when the Brown and Orange will open the Mid-American Conference schedule with a game at Toledo.