Falcons Fall Just Short at IU on Sunday

Sunday, March 19

Bloomington, IN

11:00 AM

Bowling Green State University

14-15

UIC

13-12

UIC

Bowling Green

Brooke Parker v Tiffin - Oct 2016 - Paul Duncan photo

Brooke Parker allowed just 1 run & 7 singles in a complete-game effort vs. IU

March 19, 2017 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

A pair of narrow games go the opponents' way

By: BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning vs. UIC Sunday (March 19), then saw the potential winning run come to bat against Indiana University later in the day. But, the Falcons' rally attempts fell just short, as BGSU dropped a 4-1 contest to the Flames and a 1-0 decision to the Hoosiers.

Both games were part of day-two action at the Hoosier Classic at Andy Mohr Field.

Sophomore pitchers Meredith Miller and Brooke Parker each threw a complete game on Sunday. Miller struck out eight UIC batters and allowed only two earned runs in seven innings, while Parker gave up only one run and seven hits against the host Hoosiers.

But, in the first game of the day, the Flames took advantage of BGSU errors to score a pair of unearned runs, while in the nightcap, IU got three of the seven hits from three-straight batters in the second inning, scoring the lone run of the game in the process.

At the plate, junior Laine Simmons was 2-for-2 with a walk in the opening game, while sophomore Alex Sorgi went 2-for-3 in the nightcap.

UIC got on the board in the top of the first inning, as Lexi Watts began the game with a single and stole second. She took third on a fly ball and scored on a BG error.

The Falcons, however, evened the score in the second. Redshirt junior Chelsea Raker roped a double to right-center, and senior Haley Schrock's sacrifice bunt sent pinch-runner Makayla Wood to second. Simmons walked to put runners at the corners, and a wild pitch plated Wood to make it a 1-1 game.

But, the Flames answered in the third, scoring an unearned run to take the lead for good. Watts reached on an error to begin the inning, and Tiana Mack-Miller drew a one-out walk. Miller struck out Jennah Speth for her second strikeout of the inning and the second out, but a Jasmine Willis single plated Watts. Miller bounced back for another strikeout, getting Savannah Soppet to swing and miss.

In the bottom of the third, freshman Kendyl Wheeler reached via a one-out UIC error, but Sorgi's liner was grabbed by the third baseman, who fired to first for an inning-ending double play.

And, UIC took a three-run lead in the fourth. Alice Fitzpatrick doubled with one out, and Taylor Cairns and Watts followed with singles. Fitzpatrick scored on the Watts base hit, and Cairns crossed the plate when Kayla Wedl reached on a BG error. Miller recovered to retire the next two hitters, but the Flames had a three-run lead.

BG loaded the bases in the home half of the fourth, as redshirt junior Aspen Searle singled with one out, then Schrock and Simmons had hits with two down. But, with three Falcons on, UIC pitcher Allie Trudeau got a fly ball to left to end the threat.

The Falcons had only one baserunner over the next two innings, on a Raker walk in the sixth, but BG brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh. Simmons led off with a base hit, and junior Katee Hinkle reached on an error, with pinch-runner Taylor Blevins advancing to second. Pinch-hitter Kiley Sosby's fly ball was caught in foul territory down the right-field line, with the runners advancing to second and third. But, Trudeau got a strikeout for the second out, then a grounder to short to retire the side.

Trudeau allowed one run and five hits, walking two batters and striking out one. At the plate, Watts had three of her team's nine hits and scored two of the Flames' four runs. Soppet was 2-for-4 in the win.

Trudeau and the Flames ended Sorgi's streak of consecutive games reaching base at 14. In the IU contest, however, Sorgi begin a new streak, leading off the game with a single to center. IU starter Emily Goodin retired the next three Falcons, however, on a pair of foul pops and a grounder to third.

Parker allowed a pair of singles in the first inning, with Rebecca Blitz going from first to third base on Taylor Uden's hit, and Uden taking second on the throw to third. Parker, however, proceeded to strike out cleanup hitter Bella Norton, then get Rachel O'Malley to hit an inning-ending grounder to Hinkle at second.

In the second inning, though, the Hoosiers were able to string together three consecutive two-out hits for what proved to be the game's only run. Shayna Gamm poked a base hit up the middle, a Katie Lacefield single to center put runners at the corners, and Gabbi Jenkins beat out a chopper, with Gamm crossing the plate.

Sorgi singled with two outs in the third, but did not advance any farther. Then, Searle led off the fourth with her team-leading 12th double of the year. The hit increased her streak of consecutive games reaching base to 12. Raker followed by battling Goodin through a 10-pitch at-bat, taking a ball, then fouling off six-straight pitches. Raker then took two more balls and, with the count full, hit a ball to the left-field corner, just shy of the wall. Jenkins, however, made a long run and caught the ball in the corner for the first out of the inning.

On the play, Searle tagged and headed to third, beating the throw. But, mysteriously, she was called out for leaving second base too early. Instead of a runner at third base and one out, there were suddenly two outs and the bases were empty. Aided by the call, Goodin got the next Falcon batter to hit a popup to retire the side.

The BG defense made several nice plays in the IU half of the fourth. Searle ranged to her left to make a diving stop of Lacefield's hot shot, then got to her feet and fired in one motion, with the throw beating Lacefield by a half-step. Then, a Jenkins liner was grabbed by a leaping Schrock at third base for the third out.

Hinkle lined a single to left-center with one out in the fifth, and after Goodin threw two balls to the next batter, sophomore Hannah Giammarino, IU made a pitching change, with Tara Trainer entering the circle. Giammarino hit a ball to shallow left, but shortstop Sarah Galovich made a nice running catch for the second out. Wheeler reached on an infield single, but Trainer got an inning-ending strikeout to end the threat and keep her team in the lead.

Trainer set down the Falcons in order in the sixth, but Schrock singled up the middle to begin the seventh. But, the IU hurler proceeded to strike out the next three BG hitters to close out the victory.

Goodin picked up the win, allowing four hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. She struck out one batter. Trainer earned the save, allowing two hits but striking out six of the 10 total batters she faced. Neither IU pitcher issued a walk.

Parker pitched well enough to win, allowing just the one run and seven hits. She threw 60 strikes among her 91 pitches, walking two batters and striking out two.

Sorgi was the lone player with two hits in the game. Seven different IU batters had one single apiece, with Uden the lone Hoosier to reach base twice (on a hit and a walk).

"Meredith and Brooke did a very good job of keeping us in both games today," said BGSU head coach Sarah Willis. "However, while UIC and Indiana are very good teams, we had opportunities to win each of today's games, and we did not take advantage of those opportunities.

"While we are disappointed with the outcome of today's games, the purpose of our pre-conference schedule is to put ourselves in a variety of situations which make us a better team and a better program. And, with one more game left before we begin the MAC schedule, we feel we have gotten better. We know there will be peaks and valleys in every season, but we have improved since the beginning of the season, and we will work hard at continuing to improve each and every day."

The Falcons continue a season-opening stretch of 37 consecutive games away from home with four games this week. The Falcons head to Ann Arbor to face nationally-ranked Michigan on Tuesday (March 21), before opening Mid-American Conference play with a three-game series at Central Michigan. The Falcons and Chippewas are scheduled to play a single game on Friday (March 24) and a doubleheader on Saturday (March 25) in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.