Rockets Top Falcons in Non-League Twinbill

Wednesday, April 27

Toledo, OH

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

18-29

Toledo

14-31

Bowling Green

Toledo

Katee Hinkle rounds the bases after hitting a 2-run homer in the second game (Larry Clapper photo)

Photo by: Larry Clapper

April 27, 2016 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BGSU closes season with six-straight games at Meserve Field

By: TOLEDO, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The host University of Toledo came out on top in both ends of a non-conference doubleheader with the Bowling Green State University softball team on Wednesday afternoon (April 27). The Rockets captured wins by scores of 2-1 and 6-2 at Scott Park.

GAME ONE STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
GAME TWO STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
PHOTO GALLERY: Photos by Larry Clapper

In the opener, the Falcons scored a first-inning run, but the hosts countered with single tallies in the second and third innings. The nightcap saw the Brown and Orange take a 2-1 lead on a two-run homer by sophomore Katee Hinkle in the third inning, before UT tied the game in the fourth and took the lead with a four-run fifth.

Senior Braiden Dillow, who entered Wednesday's twinbill having won her last two decisions, pitched well enough to win Wednesday's opener. She allowed two runs and six hits in her complete-game effort, walking two batters and striking out three.

But, UT's Marla Gooding allowed only one run on four hits in earning the win in the circle for the Rockets.

BG got on the scoreboard quickly in that opening game. Gooding retired the first two Falcons, but redshirt sophomore Chelsea Raker lined a ball to left-center field for a double, and senior Marisa Shook followed by hitting a ball into the right-field corner for a double of her own. Raker scored easily on the play, and the Falcons had a 1-0 lead.

Dillow struck out the first batter she faced, then allowed back-to-back singles before grabbing a ball hit back to the circle and firing to third base for a force play and out number two. She then got a grounder to retire the side.

Freshman Hannah Giammarino reached on a two-out single up the middle in the second inning, but was stranded there. And, the Rockets knotted the score in the bottom of the frame.

Kaitlyn Bergman led off the inning with a double, and she advanced to third on a wild pitch. The next hitter, Celeste Fidge, hit a sacrifice fly to center to plate Bergman with the tying run. Dillow got a grounder back to the circle, then struck out Ashley Rausch for the third out.

Junior Haley Schrock walked with one out in the third, the first of two-straight plate appearances in which she would draw a base on balls, but Gooding retired the next two hitters.

The bottom of the inning saw Jessica Lemieux hit a leadoff single up the middle. Lemieux stole second base, then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sammy Emery. Dillow got Chandler Rice to hit a grounder to the circle, and the senior pitcher looked Lemieux back to third before throwing to first for the second out. But, Samantha Showalter singled up the middle to score Lemieux with what would prove to be the winning run.

Giammarino reached on a bunt toward pitcher to start the fifth inning, and the freshman moved to second on Hinkle's sac bunt. A grounder by senior Molly Holliday moved Giammarino to third, and Schrock's second-straight walk put runners at the corners. But, Raker's hard liner was gloved by the UT rightfielder to retire the side.

Dillow set down the Rockets in the home half of the fifth, allowing only a two-out walk, but Gooding worked a one-two-three sixth. In the bottom of the inning, UT loaded the bases with two down, but Dillow worked out of the jam.

In that inning, Bergman walked with one out,, and Fidge singled to send pinch-runner Kimberly Frank to second. Dillow struck out Megan Choate, but then hit pinch-hitter Ashley Maynard to load the bases. But, the senior induced Lemieux to hit a grounder to shortstop Hinkle, who flipped the ball to second baseman Kayla Gregory for a force play that retired the side.

But, Gooding retired the Brown and Orange in the seventh, with some help from her defense. Sophomore Morgan Evangelista led off the inning with a flare to the right side, but second baseman Rice ranged to her left and made a diving catch on the outfield grass. The third out game when Hinkle's liner was grabbed by shortstop Choate.

In the second game, Schrock singled with one down in the first inning, but UT starter Heather Webb got a strikeout and a ground ball that ended the half inning.

The Rockets scratched a run across the plate against junior Briana Combs in the home half of the first. Lemieux led off with a single, but was erased on a fielder's choice grounder by Rice. Rice stole second, however, and went to third on a wild pitch. She scored on a groundout by Samantha Showalter..

Dillow drew a leadoff walk in the second, but was forced on a sacrifice attempt. Then, Evangelista lined a ball that was speared by third baseman Brittany George, and George fired to first to double up the runner.

Combs responded by getting three ground-ball outs to retire the Rockets in order in the bottom of the second. And, in the top of the third, the Falcons took the lead.

Senior Marina Cobbs led off with a single, as her hard-hit ball was deflected by a lunging George. Shortstop Choate fielded the ball, but her throw to first was not in time.

The next hitter, Hinkle, turned on Webb's 1-0 pitch and lined it over the left-field fence for a two-run homer. Webb retired the next three Falcons, but the visitors had a 2-1 lead.

Ashley Maynard walked to begin the next half-inning, but third baseman Schrock speared a liner by Rausch and whipped the ball to first to get Maynard. Shook tracked down Lemieux's foul fly in left to end the inning.

Gregory singled to right with two down in the fourth, but Webb got an inning-ending popup. In the bottom of the frame, Rice singled and stole second. She took third on a bunt, and scored on another bunt, as George brought her home just ahead of a tag on a suicide squeeze play.

In the fifth, the Rockets took the lead for good. Choate singled, and took second on Maynard's bunt. Rausch hit a ball into the ground about two feet in front of the plate, but beat it out to put runners at the corners. Lemieux lined a ball that first baseman Raker blocked, but it trickled into foul territory as Choate scored.

Freshman Brooke Parker entered the circle, but was greeted by a Rice double. Rice's ball to left-center was just out of reach of leftfielder Shook in the gap, and two runs scored on the play. Rice would eventually come around to score on a groundout by George.

BG threatened, but did not score in the sixth. Schrock, who was 2-for-3 in the game, reached on an infield single, and promptly stole second. Raker was robbed of a hit on a hard-hit ball -- and not for the first time on Wednesday -- when Rice grabbed her grounder that seemed ticketed for the outfield and threw her out.

Schrock took third on the play, but when Shook hit a liner to left, Emery made a diving catch. Schrock tagged and scored easily, but it was ruled that she had not tagged, as Emery got to her feet, threw the ball to third base and the home-plate umpire made the 'out' signal.

In the seventh, another call went against the Falcons. Dillow reached on an error, and pinch-runner Alex Sorgi stole second. Gregory hit a grounder toward first base and was retired for the first out, as Sorgi advanced to third. But, the third-base umpire called Sorgi out after the freshman trotted part of the way back toward second, thinking it had been a foul ball. Head coach Sarah Willis pleaded Sorgi's case with the ump -- who may have been a key contributor in leading Sorgi to think the ball was foul -- but to no avail. Instead of one out and a runner at third base, the Falcons had two outs and no one on, and Webb got the third out on a grounder to short.

Lemieux and Rice each had two hits for the Rockets, while Rice scored three of UT's six runs in the game.

Webb picked up the win, allowing two runs and five hits. Combs, the first of three BG pitchers, took the loss despite throwing 36 of her 58 pitches for strikes.

Schrock had an on-base percentage of .667 in the twinbill, reaching base four times in six plate appearances. She walked twice in the opener and had a pair of hits in game two. She is now hitting .329 on the season, good for second on the Falcons behind Dillow's .338 average.

The Falcons now conclude the regular season with a six-game homestand, beginning this weekend. BGSU faces Kent State University in a three-game series at Meserve Field, with a single game on Friday (April 29) and a doubleheader on Saturday (April 30). Friday's game begins at 3:00 p.m., while Saturday's first game is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.