Bradley Hangs on for 9-8 Win

Sunday, February 21

Kennesaw, GA

10:00 AM

Bowling Green State University

3-5

Bradley

3-6

Bradley

Bowling Green

Morgan Evangelista - April 29 2015 v Valpo - Jason Knavel photo

Morgan Evangelista's 3-for-3 day vs. Bradley included a 2-run homer

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

February 21, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

Despite Evangelista's seventh-inning homer, BG falls just short

By: KENNESAW, Ga. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team put six runs on the scoreboard in the second inning, but Bradley University scored in five of the seven frames, and the Braves hung on for a 9-8 win Sunday morning (Feb. 21). The game was the Falcons' final contest in the Phyllis Rafter Memorial, hosted by Kennesaw State University.

Sophomore catcher Morgan Evangelista was 3-for-3 and hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, and BG got the potential tying run to second base, but the Braves were able to hang on for the win.

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"Our pitching fell short today," said BGSU coach Sarah Willis. "We will be working hard this week to make the necessary adjustments in preparation for next weekend at South Alabama.

"I was happy with our offense overall. We did a good job throughout the lineup of manufacturing runs as well as capitalizing on some errors. Today, however, it wasn't quite enough. It is still early in the season, and we will continue to work. I have no doubt that we will get our offense and defense aligned and on the same page."

The Braves took an early lead with three runs in the top of the first. Kelly Kapp, who entered the game hitting .607 (17-for-28) on the season, continued her hot streak by leading off with a single to left. Kapp stole second, and she scored when Kendall Duffy doubled to center field.

Dillow got a fly ball for the first out, but Alyson Clemente homered to give BU an early 3-0 lead.

Dillow worked around a two-out walk in the second, getting Kapp to hit a grounder back to the circle to retire the side. Then, after going down in order on three infield grounders against BU starter Julie Kestas in the first, the Falcons (now 3-5) sent 11 batters to the plate in the second, with six of them coming around to score.

Senior Marisa Shook led off the inning with a walk, one of two free passes she would earn in the inning. Junior Haley Schrock's fielder's choice grounder saw Shook forced out at second, but sophomore Kayla Koch walked on four pitches, and Evangelista singled to load the bases. That Evangelista single through the left side of the infield came on the 10th pitch of an at-bat which saw her foul off five offerings before getting aboard.

Then, Dillow singled up the middle to score Schrock, with the bases remaining loaded. Dani Cowan replaced Kestas in the circle, but she walked sophomore Katee Hinkle on four pitches to score Koch. Senior Marina Cobbs reached on a grounder, and everyone was safe on the fielder's choice as Evangelista crossed the plate. Then, Dillow scored on a fly ball to center by senior Molly Holliday, putting the Brown and Orange on top.

Redshirt sophomore Chelsea Raker singled to left to score Hinkle, and with Shook at the plate for the second time in the inning, a wild pitch scored Cobbs with the Falcons' sixth run. The Braves made another pitching change, and Megan Mahaffy entered the game with a 1-1 count on Shook. She walked the senior, but was able to get Schrock to hit a grounder to third to end the inning.

Duffy led off the third with her second double of the game. She took third on a wild pitch, but Dillow then struck out Maria Schroeder and got Clemente to hit a grounder to third, with Duffy forced to hold. But, Rachel Huggins homered to cut BG's lead to a single run.

Mahaffy walked Evangelista on four pitches in the bottom of the inning, and another base on balls, to Hinkle, put two Falcons on base, but the BU hurler was able to induce a fly ball to left for the third out.

In the fourth, Stephanie Campos drew a one-out walk against freshman Brooke Parker. Campos took second on an infield hit by Kapp, and after Parker struck out Duffy for the second out of the inning, a Schroeder single scored Campos to tie the game.

The Falcon half of the inning saw BG get two runners in scoring position with two outs. Shook reached on an error, and a Schrock double to left-center field sent Shook to third. But, a grounder back to the circle resulted in the third out.

The Braves scored an unearned run in the fifth. Huggins walked, and a ground ball moved pinch-runner Telly Hunter to second. Taylor Morales saw her plate appearance extended when a foul ball to the outfield was dropped, and she made the most of her second chance, with a single to center that plated Hunter with the go-ahead run. Parker struck out pinch-hitter Katie Habryle, but BU had the lead.

BG got a runner as far as second base in the fifth, on an Evangelista single and a Dillow grounder that advanced pinch-runner Hannah Giammarino. But, a fielder's choice grounder produced the second out, and a liner by Cobbs was caught by the BU first baseman.

Parker worked around an infield single to set down the Braves in the sixth, but the Falcons were retired in order in the bottom of the inning. In the seventh, Clemente led off with a double, and Caitlyn McCarron homered with two outs to provide the Braves with some insurance. And, as it turned out, BU would need each of those runs.

Trailing by three, the Falcons got a leadoff single from Schrock, and the junior then stole second. Schrock moved to third on a grounder by pinch-hitter Alex Sorgi, and Evangelista then stepped to the plate and deposited a Mahaffy offering on the other side of the fence in left.

Jaelen Hull came on to try and pick up the save for Bradley, but Dillow worked the count full, then reached on an infield error. Hull got a strikeout for the first out, but Cobbs walked to send pinch-runner Briana Combs to second. Hull, however, was able to get another strikeout to end the game.

Mahaffy picked up the win in relief, going four-and-two-thirds innings after the first two BU hurlers combined to get just five outs. Mahaffy allowed two runs and four hits. Hull got the save, striking out two of the three hitters she faced.

Parker took the loss for the Falcons, allowing three earned runs in four innings of relief. Both Dillow and Parker surrendered six hits.

Evangelista, as mentioned, was a perfect 3-for-3 for the Falcons, and she also had a walk, two runs and two RBI. Schrock was 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and two runs scored.

For the first time in 2016, Shook was held without a hit, but she still reached base in three of her four plate appearances, walking twice (in the same inning) and getting aboard on a BU error.

Kapp paced the Braves with a 3-for-4 day, while Duffy and Clemente each were 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

The Falcons went 2-2 on the weekend, outscoring the opposition by a 26-16 count. BGSU will head to Mobile, Ala., for the South Alabama Invitational next weekend (Feb. 26-28). The Brown and Orange will play a total of five games at that tourney, facing Dartmouth and Wichita State twice each and the host school, USA, once.