Cardinals Shut Down BG Bats in 9-0 Win Sunday

Sunday, April 12

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

13-19, 4-6

Ball State

21-19, 7-2

Ball State

Bowling Green

Molly Holliday - March 29 2015 - BGSU Softball

Junior Molly Holliday had 2 of the Falcons' 3 hits on Sunday afternoon

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

April 12, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

Falcons return to action Tuesday at Notre Dame

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Ball State University scored three times in the top of the first inning, and the Cardinals went on to a 9-0, five-inning victory over the Bowling Green State University softball team Sunday afternoon (April 12). The Mid-American Conference game was held at Meserve Field.

Junior Molly Holliday had two of the Falcons' three hits on the afternoon. On the season, Holliday leads the Brown and Orange with a .376 batting average.

The Cardinals pounded out 11 hits, including four in the first inning, on Sunday. BSU took a three-run lead in that opening frame, sending nine batters to the plate.

"I really think, if we had been a bit more aggressive offensively, we could have climbed out of that 3-0 hole," said BGSU head coach Shannon Salsburg. "But I think we once again set that tone that we were going to sit back and allow them to be the aggressors. We just have to believe in ourselves, and know that we are capable of doing the job. We will go back to work tomorrow, and we will work hard and restore that belief in ourselves once again."

With one out in that first inning, Ball State's Loren Cihlar reached on a BG error, one of four miscues in the first inning, and Emily Dabkowski singled up the middle on the very next pitch, with Cihlar advancing to third base. Then, Hanne Stuedemann singled to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead, as Cihlar scored and Dabkowski took third.

Then, on a stolen-base attempt, Stuedemann was safe at second, and Dabkowski scored when the throw went into centerfield. BGSU starting pitcher Jamie Kertes got the next batter to hit a fly ball to center for the second out, but Stuedemann tagged and advanced to third, then trotted home after the throw from the outfield sailed into the BG dugout.

Shelbie Scamihorn and Julie Bailey each singled, and Sammi Cowger reached on yet another BG error, loading the bases. But, Kertes got Hayley Cruthers to hit a soft liner back to the circle, and the BG senior grabbed the ball for the third out.

Holliday singled with one out in the bottom of the first, but was forced at second on a fielder's choice by fellow junior Marina Cobbs. Senior Chloe Giordano followed with a line drive to rightfield, but the ball was caught by Stuedemann as she retreated toward the fence.

BSU scored a second-inning run after Selena Reyna led off with a line-drive single. BG first baseman Kayla Koch knocked the ball down, but it rolled into foul territory and Reyna was safe without a throw. Reyna was erased on a Cihlar fielder's choice, and a fly ball to rightfielder Cobbs produced the second out, but Cihlar stole second, then scored when Stuedemann singled through the right side of the BG infield. The next hitter, Jessica Craft, hit a long fly ball, but leftfielder Haley Schrock went back and caught the ball just in front of the warning track.

In the bottom of the second, freshman Morgan Evangelista drew a leadoff walk against BSU starter Carolyn Wilmes, and Schrock followed with a smash, but third baseman Bailey caught the line drive for the first out. Pinch-runner Amanda Durham advanced to third base on a pair of passed balls, sandwiched around a strikeout, but Wilmes got an inning-ending fly ball, stranding Durham at third.

Junior pitcher Braiden Dillow entered the game to start the third inning, and needed just three pitches to get two outs, as Scamihorn fouled out to Giordano at third, and Bailey grounded out to shortstop Katee Hinkle. Cowger's at-bat lasted a little longer, but Dillow got the BSU junior to ground out to second baseman Aspen Searle, retiring the side in order.

With one out in the bottom of the inning, Searle was hit by a pitch, and Holliday attempted to push a bunt through the right side of the infield. But, second baseman Dabkowski, heading toward the first base bag, was able to switch directions and make a diving grab of the ball for the second out. Cobbs fouled off a pitch during the next at-bat, but was called out as it was ruled her foot was out of the batter's box when she made contact.

BSU increased the lead to 5-0 in the fourth, as Reyna walked and came around to score on a double by Cihlar. Cihlar stole third, but was out at home on a grounder to the circle, as Dillow threw to catcher Evangelista. Then, Dillow got Stuedemann to swing and miss at a 1-2 pitch to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, Giordano hit a drive to left, but got just under the ball, and it was caught in front of the fence in left.

BSU blew the game open in the fifth. Scamihorn's one-out double was followed by a bloop single from Bailey. Cowger singled to score pinch-runner India Steward. Taylor Cooley was a strikeout victim, but Reyna hit a three-run homerun to left-center, giving the Cards a nine-run lead.

The Falcons looked to extend the game in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases after the first two batters were retired. Junior Marisa Shook pinch-hit for Hinkle and was safe on an infield error, and Hinkle, who re-entered the game for Shook, was safe at second on Searle's infield hit. Searle's hard-hit grounder was grabbed by shortstop Reyna deep in the hole, and her only play was at second base, but Hinkle beat the throw.

Holliday's liner went between third baseman Bailey and the bag, loading the bases with two outs. But, Jocelyn Rivera replaced Wilmes and got a game-ending foul pop on her first pitch.

Wilmes got the win for BSU, allowing just three hits on the day. She walked one batter and struck out two. For the Falcons, Kertes took the loss, allowing four runs, but just two earned runs, in the game.

Reyna led the BSU attack with two runs, two hits and three RBI. Stuedemann, Scamihorn and Bailey each had two hits as well, with Stuedemann driving in a pair of teammates.

"Ball State, obviously, is a very good team," said Salsburg. "They're going to have an opportunity to fight for a championship this year. When you give a team like that an opening, they know what to do with it, and they showed that today. At the end of the day, though, I firmly believe we match up a lot better with them than what we showed today.

"It's a disappointing day, but we need to pick ourselves back up and continue to fight towards our goal. Everything is still very much within our grasp. In the next couple of weekends, we play teams that we need to beat to stay above (in the standings). As I said to the girls, we are going to be positive, and we are going to continue to fight."

BGSU will step outside of MAC play for a Tuesday (April 14) contest at the University of Notre Dame, before returning home for four conference contests next weekend. The Falcons face Ohio in a Friday (April 17) doubleheader, then play single games vs. Akron on Saturday and Sunday (April 18-19) at Meserve Field. Beginning with Friday's Ohio twinbill, the Brown and Orange will play 12-straight home contests. Tuesday's Notre Dame game is BG's only road contest between April 5 and May 1.