Bulls Best BGSU, 9-0

Friday, April 15

Buffalo, NY

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

16-25, 4-8

Buffalo

12-27, 6-6

Bowling Green

Buffalo

Huddle - April 8 v CMU - Amanda Cutcher photo

April 15, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

Falcons will look to bounce back in a Saturday DH

By: BUFFALO, N.Y. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team got out of jams in both the first and second innings, but the Falcons weren't so fortunate after that. The University at Buffalo put up three runs in the third inning and five more in the fourth, and the Bulls cruised to a 9-0 win in five innings Friday afternoon (April 15) at Nan Harvey Field.

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The Bulls (12-27, 6-6 MAC) got eight hits and seven runs from the bottom five players in the batting order, and UB pitcher Charlotte Miller allowed just two hits in earning the win over the Falcons (16-25, 4-8 MAC).

Danielle Lallos led the way for the hosts, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two runs batted in. Leadoff hitter Savanna Norcio reached base in every plate appearance, while Ashton Earnhardt, like Norcio, was 2-for-3 on the day. Earnhardt scored a pair of runs.

The Bulls got the leadoff hitter on base in every inning. BG starting pitcher Braiden Dillow worked out of a first-inning jam, then allowed just one run in the second, escaping a bases-loaded, one-out situation. But, UB again loaded the bases in the third inning, scoring a run on a walk and two more when a grounder was misplayed. Then, the hosts broke the game wide open in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Miller allowed a pair of leadoff singles -- to senior Marisa Shook in the second inning and freshman Hannah Giammarino in the third -- but nothing else. She struck out three Falcons and did not walk a batter, facing just two hitters over the minimum and improving to 5-6 on the year.

"We gave up too many free bases today with walks, and defensively, we played back on our heels," said Falcon head coach Sarah Willis. "Overall, we need to play as a team and be more aggressive."

After Miller retired the side in order in the top of the first, Norcio led off the home half of the inning with a double to right-center field. Leandra Jew bunted Norcio to third, and Katie Weimer was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners. Weimer stole second, but Dillow got Catrell Robertson to hit a grounder to shortstop Katee Hinkle. Hinkle looked Norcio back to third before firing to first for the second out. Dillow struck out Earnhardt, and the Falcons were out of the inning.

In the second, though, Lallos led off with an infield hit and went all the way to third on a sac bunt by Kenzie Koch. Then, Lauren Gambone's blooper to left field dropped in, with Lallos trotting home to give UB the lead for good. Courtney Gilbert followed with a single of her own, and a walk to Norcio loaded the bases with just one down. But, Dillow got pinch-hitter Essence Savinon to hit a soft liner to third baseman Haley Schrock, and Weimer grounded out to Hinkle to end the inning.

BG got a runner as far as third base in the third inning. Giammarino began the inning with a looper that landed behind second base, just out of reach of diving shortstop Gilbert, for a base hit. Hinkle bunted Giammarino to second, and she took third on a groundout, but Miller got another infield grounder for the third out.

In the UB third, Robertson led off with a walk, and Earnhardt singled up the middle. A bunt single by Lallos loaded the bases, but BGSU got the first out when first baseman Chelsea Raker fielded Koch's weak roller and fired home to force pinch-runner Andriana Lis. Gambone, however, drew a walk to score Earnhardt, before Gilbert hit a fly ball to shallow right for out number two.

The next hitter was Norcio, and her grounder up the middle was misplayed behind second base, with both Lallos and Koch coming around to score and make it a 4-0 game. After a walk, junior Briana Combs replaced Dillow in the circle and got Weimer to hit a fly ball to centerfielder Molly Holliday to retire the side.

Raker gave a Miller pitch a ride as the fourth inning began, but UB centerfielder Lallos made a leaping catch just in front of the warning track. Miller made a nice grab of Shook's grounder back to the circle, firing to first for the second out, and a grounder to short ended the inning. Then, the Bulls put the game away.

Robertson was hit by a pitch, and Earnhardt's double put a pair of runners in scoring position. Lallos followed with a double of her own, scoring both runners for a 6-0 lead. She stole second before Koch's single brought her home.

Gambone reached on a throwing error that put runners at second and third, and Gilbert's grounder produced the first out of the inning, but also scored a run. After a host of defensive changes for the Falcons, a single by Norcio plated another run. A fly ball by Jew was caught down the left-field line, and Combs struck out Taylor Scott, but the damage had been done. BG went quietly in the fifth, and the Bulls had the run-rule win.

The Falcons and Bulls will conclude the three-game weekend series witih a doubleheader on Saturday (April 16). First pitch of game one is set for 1:00 p.m. at Nan Harvey Field.