Chippewas Top Falcons, 5-2, Saturday Afternoon

Saturday, May 2

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

19-28, 7-14

Central Michigan

25-20, 12-7

Bowling Green

Central Michigan

Haley Schrock - BGSU softball vs Akron - April 18 2015

Haley Schrock had a two-run double in Saturday's game at CMU

May 02, 2015 | Softball

Box Score

Central builds a five-run lead, holds off a late BG rally attempt

By: MT. PLEASANT, Mich. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Host Central Michigan University built a five-run lead, then held off a late charge by the Bowling Green State University softball team Saturday afternoon (May 2). The Chippewas downed the Falcons, 5-2, in Mid-American Conference action at Margo Jonker Stadium.

BG's runs came when sophomore Haley Schrock clubbed a seventh-inning double that scored both classmate Sami Parave and senior Chloe Giordano.

The Chippewas (25-20, 12-7 MAC), however, had slowly built a five-run lead, and after Schrock's double, CMU starting pitcher Taylor Weaver was able to get the final two outs to wrap up a complete-game win.

Schrock had two hits to pace the attack for BG (19-28, 7-14). Both Katelyn Rentschler and Chelsea DeLamielleure had two hits for the home team, with DeLamielleure driving in three runs and Renschler one.

The Chippewas got a run in the first inning off of senior starter Jamie Kertes. Lacy Tolfree walked, and after Kertes struck out Kristen Kuhlman, Tolfree was caught stealing, as freshman catcher Morgan Evangelista fired a strike to sophomore shortstop Aspen Searle, who applied the tag for the second out.

But, Trista Cox followed with a double to center, and Rentschler singled, with Cox taking third and then scoring on a BG outfield error. Kertes got DeLamielleure to hit a grounder back to the circle for the third out, but the home team had a 1-0 lead.

The Chippewas got the leadoff runner aboard for the second-straight inning, as Sara Hansen led off the bottom of the second by hitting a chopper that bounced over third baseman Chloe Giordano and into shallow left field. But, Kertes struck out Maison Kalina, and when Kristen Goodall hit the next pitch up the middle, Searle grabbed the ball, stepped on second base and fired to first baseman Kayla Koch for an inning-ending double play.

Weaver was perfect through three innings for the Chippewas, and after she retired the Falcons in the third, her teammates gave her two more runs to work with. Danielle Marlink walked, but was erased on a Tolfree bunt, as Giordano fielded it and threw to second in time for the first out.

Kuhlman, however, followed with a blooper that landed just fair in shallow left, putting runners at first and second. Cox hit a grounder, and Searle snared it and threw to senior second baseman Emily McClelland. It was ruled, though, that Kuhlman had beaten the throw, and instead of two outs and runners at the corners, the Chippewas had the bases loaded with just one out.

That call became more crucial when Kertes struck out Rentschler. The next hitter, DeLamiellieure, hit a blooper to left that scored both Tolfree and Kuhlman. Junior Braiden Dillow entered the circle and got Sara Hansen to pop up to end the inning, but the hosts had a three-run lead.

Junior Molly Holliday singled with one down in the fourth, giving the Falcons a baserunner for the first time, and the speedy centerfielder stole second with two outs, but Weaver got Evangelista to hit a fly ball to left for the third out.

Dillow set the Chippewas down in order in the bottom of the fourth, with a strikeout, a foul pop and a grounder to the circle, and the Falcons looked to mount a rally in the fifth.

Schrock hit a one-out popup to the left side, and the Chippewa infielders lost the ball in the sun. It landed between shortstop Cox and third baseman Kalina, but Kalina grabbed the ball and threw to second in time to get Schrock attempting to take an extra base.

With two down, Dillow hit a drive to deep center. Sara Hansen ran a long way, and almost made a spectacular catch, but the ball hit the ground and Dillow wound up on second on the play. She advanced to third base when Koch singled through the left side of the infield.

The Falcons attempted a double steal, and with pinch-runner Amanda Durham hung up between first and second, Dillow broke for home, but the throw to the plate was in time for CMU catcher Marlink to make the tag for the third out.

CMU scored twice in the bottom of the fifth after the first two batters were retired. Dillow got Tolfree to pop up to third, and the junior struck out Kuhlman, but Cox walked, and came around to score on a Rentschler double to center. Rentschler, who took third on the throw to the plate, then scored when DeLamielleure's looping liner was just out of the reach of a diving Searle.

McClelland led off the BG sixth by lacing a single to center, but after Searle's fly ball was caught in center, Holliday hit a liner back to the circle. Weaver somehow made the catch, and threw to first to double off McClelland.

Dillow worked around a two-out error to retire the Chippewas in the home half of the sixth, and junior Marina Cobbs led off the seventh inning with a single up the middle. Cobbs was erased on a grounder by Evangelista, and Parave came on as a pinch-runner.

Giordano lined a single through the left side to put runners at first and second, before Schrock clubbed a ball over the head of leftfielder Tolfree to plate both Parave and Giordano. Dillow then hit a liner to center, but Sara Hansen was in position to make the catch. Then, shortstop Cox was able to spear Koch's soft liner approximately six inches above the ground to give the Chippewas the victory.

Saturday's loss eliminates the Falcons from MAC Tournament contention. BGSU will close the 2015 season on Sunday afternoon (May 3), wrapping up the two-game series vs. CMU with a 1:00 p.m. game at Margo Jonker Stadium.