Giordano, Falcons Work Overtime to Top Penn, 2-1

Friday, March 6

Clearwater, Fla.

11:15 AM

Bowling Green State University

5-4

Penn

0-1

Bowling Green

Penn

Chloe Giordano's eighth-inning single plated what proved to be the winning run

March 06, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

Senior's eighth-inning single lifts BGSU to victory in Friday's first game

By: CLEARWATER, Fla. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Senior Chloe Giordano's RBI single in the top of the eighth inning lifted the Bowling Green State University softball team to a 2-1 win over the University of Pennsylvania Friday morning/afternoon (March 6). The game was the first for both teams at the USF Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, Fla.

Giordano's hit scored sophomore Haley Schrock, who began the inning on second base as the international tiebreaker format was utilized.

Junior Braiden Dillow earned the win in relief for the Falcons (5-4). She faced the minimum nine hitters in her three innings of work, striking out four hitters en route to improving to 3-2 on the year.

BGSU starting pitcher Jamie Kertes allowed just one run and five hits in her five-inning stint. The senior struck out five and did not walk a batter.

"We are glad to have fought and won game one today," said BGSU coach Shannon Salsburg. "We weren't as sharp as we would have liked, but to find a way to win was huge. Chloe came up with the big hit and Braiden did a great job of shutting things down to close out the game."

The Falcons manufactured a run in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Aspen Searle led off with a walk, and was forced at second on a grounder by junior Molly Holliday. Holliday promptly stole second, then took third when fellow junior Marina Cobbs beat out an infield single. Holliday was out at home on another stolen-base attempt, but Cobbs advanced to third base, then scored on a passed bal lto give the Brown and Orange an early 1-0 lead.

BGSU has now outscored opponents, 21-6, in the first inning this season to date.

Senior Jamie Kertes worked a scoreless first inning vs. the Quakers, striking out a pair of batters and working around a one-out single. Penn starting pitcher Alexis Borden, however, worked a one-two-three second inning with a pair of strikeouts of her own, but Kertes returned the favor, retiring Penn in order in the bottom of the frame. She struck out Lauren Li and Katie Petroski for the second and third outs, respectively.

In the bottom of the third, the Quakers threatened, but did not score. Penn got an infield single by Vera Barnwell to begin the inning, and she stole second and advanced to third on another infield single by Hayley Metcalf. A batter's interference call produced the first out, though, and Barnwell was cut down at home on an attempted double steal. Then, Kertes got Kanani Datan to hit a fly ball to center field to end the inning.

The Falcons were unable to take advantage of a golden opportunity to increase the lead in the fourth inning. Holliday began the inning with a bunt single, and she took second when Cobbs looped a single over the shortstop's head and into left field. Then, when sophomore Trista Mokienko was hit by a Borden pitch, the bases were loaded with no outs. But, Holliday was cut down at home for the second time in the game, and Borden got a strikeout and an infield popup to escape the jam.

And, in the bottom of the inning, the Quakers responded. Alexis Sargent singled with one out, and pinch-runner Molly Oretsky stole second and scored on a double to left-center by Korinne Raby. Kertes got a fly-ball out, then struck out Petroski swinging, but the game was tied.

Borden retired the Falcons in order in the fifth, but Kertes did the same to the Quakers in the bottom of the inning. In the top of the sixth, BG was retired in order, with Penn leftfielder Sydney Turchin making a sliding catch of Holliday's liner to deny the Falcon junior her second hit of the day.

Dillow entered the game in the bottom of the sixth, and proceeded to get two ground-ball outs before throwing a third strike past Sargent to end the inning.

With a light rain beginning to fall, Borden sandwiched a pair of ground balls around a swinging strikeout to retire the Falcons in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the inning, Dillow got Raby to ground out to Giordano at third base for the first out, then induced Li to hit a grounder back to the circle. When she got Petroski to swing and miss, the teams were headed to extra innings.

The international tiebreaker format was utilized beginning with the top of the eighth, as Schrock took second base to begin the inning. Freshman Kayle Gregory entered the game as a pinch-hitter for classmate Morgan Evangelista, and Gregory grounded out, but Schrock took third on a passed ball during the at-bat. Then, Giordano brought Schrock home with a single to shallow left.

With a runner placed on second for the Quakers in the bottom of the inning, Dillow proceeded to strike out the first two batters, then induced Turchin to hit a harmless grounder to first base for the final out.

The Falcons will return to the diamond on Friday afternoon, taking on Seton Hall University in a game scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m.