Falcons Fall at Valpo

Tuesday, March 29

Valparaiso, IN

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

12-19

Valparaiso

4-20

Bowling Green

Valparaiso

Chelsea Raker (88) - Oct 18 2015 - BGSU Softball - MJC

Chelsea Raker was 3-for-3 with a homer in Tuesday's first game

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

March 29, 2016 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Crusaders take early leads in both games en route to DH sweep

By: VALPARAISO, Ind. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Host Valparaiso University broke out to early leads in each game of Tuesday's (March 29) doubleheader, holding off a comeback bid in game one and riding the performance of a hot pitcher in game two. It all added up to a sweep of the Bowling Green State University softball team at the VU Softball Field. The Crusaders took game one, 4-3, before winning the nightcap by a 6-0 final.

The Falcons (12-20) outhit the hosts, 8-6, in the opener, with redshirt sophomore Chelsea Raker going 3-for-3. Raker clubbed a solo homer to left field to get the Brown and Orange on the board in the fourth, after Valpo had scored twice in both the second and third frames.

GAME ONE STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
GAME TWO STATISTICS: HTML | PDF

Junior Haley Schrock's two-run single moved the Falcons within just one run in the sixth. But, the Crusaders got out of that inning, then got a fortuitous game-ending double play in the seventh.

In the nightcap, Valpo scored five runs in the first inning, and Taylor Weissenhofer threw a complete-game three-hit shutout.

"In both games today, we made mistakes and fell behind early, and that set the tone," said BGSU head coach Sarah Willis. "We battled back in the first game, and we only gave up one run after the first inning in the second game, but we can't keep putting ourselves in a hole. We need to play better fundamental softball, and we will continue to work on doing the little things that will make us a better team."

For the hosts, Sam Stewart had a key two-run double in the first game, and Kaitlyn Ranieri drove in a pair of runs with a two-base hit in the nightcap.

The Falcons had two-out hits in each of the first two innings of Tuesday's opener, but could not mount a rally. Raker singled to right in the first inning, and took second on a wild pitch by VU starter Mollie Lindeman, but the redshirt sophomore was stranded there as senior Marisa Shook's fly ball hung in the air long enough for centerfielder Taylor Lawson to track it down in right-center.

In the second inning, senior Braiden Dillow singled up the middle with two down. Dillow was 2-for-3 in the game. But, a strikeout ended that half-inning.

Dillow, the Falcons' starting pitcher, bounced back after the leadoff hitter reached third base with just one out in the Valpo half of the first. Lawson reached on a BG error, stole second and took third on a sacrifice bunt. But, the BG senior struck out the Crusaders' three and four hitters, Taylor Nadler and Ranieri.

But, in the bottom of the second, the hosts took the lead. Lanie Callaghan singled with one out, and after Dillow whiffed Jasmine Ramirez, back-to-back doubles to left field by Jorgi Calombaris and Carly Trepanier scored a run apiece.

The Crusaders doubled the lead in the third. Stephanie Moreno was hit by a pitch, and Nadler's seeing-eye grounder somehow got through the left side of the infield. Ranieri reached on an error that loaded the bases, and Stewart's line drive hit off the fence in right for a two-run double.

Following Stewart's hit, a walk loaded the bases, with no outs. But, Dillow struck out Lindeman, and a Calombaris grounder was fielded by Raker, who threw to catcher Morgan Evangelista for a force at the plate. When Shook gloved Trepanier's fly ball, the Falcons were out of the inning without any further damage.

Raker led off the fourth with a blast to left to get the Falcons on the board, and BG hit two more line drives in the inning, but both were hit directly at VU fielders.

Freshman Brooke Parker entered the circle to begin the fourth inning, and proceeded to pitch one-hit shutout ball over the remainder of the game. She faced just one batter over the minimum, and needed only 36 pitches to get through three innings. She walked Nadler with two down in the fourth, but got a ground ball for a force play at second that produced the third out.

The top of the fifth saw Evangelista drill a line drive, but right at leftfielder Nadler. Sophomore Katee Hinkle lined a ball to right-center for a two-out single, but a nifty backhand scoop and throw by shortstop Moreno denied senior Marina Cobbs a base hit and ended the inning.

But, Parker made quick work of the Crusaders in the home half of the fifth, striking out Ramirez for the third out, and BG was back at the plate. Senior Molly Holliday beat out a roller toward second base, then stole second. Raker drilled a single to center, and the ball got to the outfield so quickly that the speedy Holliday was forced to hold at third. An infield grounder advanced pinch-runner Alex Sorgi to second, with Holliday forced to hold at third, but Schrock followed with a base hit up the middle that scored both runners. Lindeman got a strikeout for the second out, but Dillow singled to right, with Schrock advancing all the way to third. But, a foul pop to the catcher ended the inning.

The bottom of the sixth saw Calombaris lead off with a single, but second baseman Kayla Gregory fielded a Trepanier grounder, tagged Calombaris and threw to first to complete the double play. Another grounder sent the game to the seventh inning.

Hinkle led off that seventh frame with a walk, but was erased on a fielder's choice grounder. Holliday then hit a liner to the right side, but first baseman Ramirez grabbed the ball, then was able to beat Cobbs to the first-base bag for a game-ending double play.

Lindeman picked up the victory, allowing three runs and eight hits in her complete-game effort. She walked one batter and struck out four.

In game two, BG put two runners aboard in the top of the first. Holliday reached on a one-out error, and advanced to second on a passed ball. Shook walked with two outs, but Weissenhofer induced a popup for the third out. Then came a half-inning that was nothing short of nightmarish for the Falcons.

Lawson led off the bottom of the first by reaching on an error, and she promptly stole second. Moreno laid down a bunt, and beat the throw to first for a base hit that put runners at the corners. Nadler was hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded. Ranieri drilled a double to left-center to score a pair of runs, and a third run crossed the plate on a grounder by Stewart. Callaghan reached on a single up the middle. Gregory made a nice diving stop on the play, keeping the ball from going into the outfield. It rolled toward Hinkle, as Ranieri rounded third and headed for home. Hinkle's throw beat Ranieri by several steps, but the runner eluded a tag attempt and was able to score. Then, Ramirez lined a double to left, as the ball ticked off the glove of a diving Shook. The Crusaders' final run of the inning scored on a wild pitch.

Gregory walked in the second, and Raker drew a base on balls in the third, but Weissenhofer kept the Brown and Orange off of the scoreboard in each inning.

The Crusaders got a pair of runners on base on a bunt single and a walk in the second. But, a runner left first base early on a stolen-base attempt, junior Briana Combs struck out Nadler on a 3-2 pitch, and a grounder retired the side.

But, Valpo scored an unearned run in the third. Stewart led off with a single, and took second on a Ramirez hit one out later. A Calombaris grounder was gloved by a BG infielder, but the throw to second was off-line, and Stewart was able to come around and score. Hinkle, however, caught Trepanier's soft liner while moving to her right, and quickly set and fired to double the runner off first base.

Hinkle singled with one out in the fifth – BG's first hit of the game – but Weissenhofer struck out the next batter, and a foul pop toward third base ended the inning.

Freshman Kiley Sosby came on in the fifth inning and quickly struck out a pair of hitters. An error and a bloop single put two runners on base, but Holliday made a nice running catch in left-center for out number three.

In the sixth, Dillow's blooper landed in front of a diving centerfielder with two outs, and Hinkle lined a single through the legs of Weissenhofer. But, centerfielder Lawson made a nice running catch of a line-drive by junior Trista Mokienko in right-center. And, the Falcons were retired in order in the seventh as Weissenhofer recorded the shutout.

The VU hurler walked three batters, but struck out eight to pick up the win. Combs took the loss, allowing six runs (only two earned) in four innings of work. Sosby pitched a pair of scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit. She walked two Crusaders and struck out three.

Ramirez was the lone player on either team with two hits in the game. Gregory had a hit and a walk for the Falcons.

The Falcons return to Mid-American Conference play this weekend, heading to Ypsilanti, Mich., for a three-game series. BGSU will meet the Eagles in a single game Friday (April 1) and a doubleheader on Saturday (April 2).