Chippewas Stop Falcons as MAC Play Begins

Friday, March 24

Mount Pleasant, MI

12:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

14-18, 0-1

Central Michigan

16-7, 1-0

Bowling Green

Central Michigan

Kendyl Wheeler v Tiffin - Oct 2016 - Paul Duncan photo

Kendyl Wheeler had an extra-base hit in each of Friday's games

March 24, 2017 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BGSU held to two runs in Friday twinbill

By: MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Host Central Michigan University held the Bowling Green State University softball team to just two runs in Friday's (March 24) doubleheader, downing the Falcons by scores of 7-1 and 3-1 on opening day of the Mid-American Conference season. The games were held at Margo Jonker Stadium.

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

Sophomore Hannah Giammarino scored the Falcons' lone run in game one, and drove in BGSU's only run in game two. Freshman Kendyl Wheeler had an extra-base hit in each game, with a double in the opener and her team-leading third triple of the year in the nightcap.

CMU (17-7, 2-0 MAC) has now won nine-straight games and 16 of the last 17 contests. BGSU (14-19, 0-2 MAC) saw a three-game series winning streak vs. the Chippewas come to an end in Friday's opener.

Erika Underwood paced the hosts with five runs batted in on the day, including one in each of her first three at-bats in the opener.

"We did not execute our game plan today, and had missed opportunities in game two," said Falcon head coach Sarah Willis. "We are looking to right the wrongs from today and will look to make our adjustments in tomorrow's game."

The Chippewas broke on top with a first-inning run in Friday's opener. With one out, Allison Curtis singled through the left side of the BGSU infield. Falcon starter Brooke Parker retired the next CMU hitter, but Underwood roped a ball to right for a run-scoring double, and Central had an early lead.

Junior Laine Simmons got the Falcons' first hit of the day off CMU starter Rachael Knapp with a two-out single, but was stranded there. But, the Falcons tied the game in the third. Giammarino led off with a walk, and Wheeler laid down a bunt. Both runners were safe on the sacrifice, as the CMU throw went to second base, but was not in time to beat the speedy Giammarino.

One out later, senior Sami Parave singled up the middle to load the bases, and Giammarino scored on redshirt junior Aspen Searle's grounder. CMU second baseman Rachel Vieira likely prevented an additional run from scoring on the play, diving to her right to keep Searle's ball from leaving the infield and flipping the ball to second to get an out. Knapp got the second out on a popup, and Vieira made another nice defensive play, ranging into shallow right and making an over-the-shoulder catch of redshirt junior Chelsea Raker's flare.

The Chippewas, however, responded in the bottom of the inning. Curtis led off with a single, took second on Sydney Heath's sac bunt and scored on Underwood's double. Then, a fielder's choice grounder put runners at the corners, as a BG throw was too late to get pinch-runner Andrea Perlberg at third. A delayed double-steal attempt resulted in a run, and a two-out hit by Danielle Marlink gave the hosts a 4-1 lead.

Another Underwood hit scored CMU's fifth run, as her single plated Lacy Tolfree with two outs in the fifth. Giammarino ended that inning with a nifty diving catch in shallow center, racing in to rob Morgan Gardner of a base hit.

Schrock gave a Knapp offering a ride in the sixth, but her fly ball was caught just shy of the warning track. The Chippewas added a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, and CMU centerfielder Curtis made a nice catch on a Simmons fly ball to begin the seventh. Simmons lofted a drive to left-center, and it appeared that leftfielder Tolfree had lost the ball in the sun. But, Curtis raced into the gap and made a diving grab. Knapp then got another fly ball and a strikeout to close out the inning and the game.

Knapp allowed just one run and three hits on the day, walking one batter and striking out nine in the complete-game win. Underwood was 3-for-4 with the three RBI, while Curtis went 2-for-3 and scored a pair of runs. Marlink also had a pair of hits in the win.

Parker took the loss, allowing five runs and nine hits in her five innings of work. Sophomore Kiley Sosby pitched the sixth inning for the Falcons.

In game two, the Chippewas again scored in the opening inning. Tolfree led off with an infield hit against sophomore Meredith Miller, but was caught stealing on the very next pitch. But, Heath doubled with two down, then scored on an Underwood base hit.

In the second inning, though, the Brown and Orange would even the score. Raker singled, but pinch-runner Makayla Wood was forced at second on a bunt. The next batter, freshman Logan Everett, hit a bouncer to the right side, and senior Haley Schrock was safe at second on a CMU error. Central starter Hanna Warren struck out the next batter for the second out, but Giammarino singled to plate Everett and tie the game at 1-1.

BG threatened in the third, loading the bases after two were out. Searle and Raker each singled, and Schrock reached on a CMU infield error to load the bases. But, after a lengthy at-bat, Warren got an inning-ending strikeout.

The Chippewas, threatened, but did not score, in the bottom of the third. Curtis doubled with one out, then moved to third on a wild pitch. But, Heath hit a fly ball to left, with Alex Sorgi making the catch for the second out. And, the sophomore fired home to get Curtis as she tried to tag and score. The throw beat Curtis, who attempted to slide past the plate, then reach back and touch it. But, Everett applied the tag to complete the double play and end the inning.

CMU scored an unearned run in each of the next two innings, however, to take a two-run lead. In the fourth, the leadoff hitter reached when her high infield popup was dropped, and a run scored on Vieira's single. Then, in the fifth, a two-out infield error kept the inning alive, and an Underwood infield hit scored Evelyn Lorimer.

BG got several hitters aboard, as Giammarino singled in the fourth, then stole second, and Schrock was hit by a pitch to begin the sixth. But, in each case, the runner advanced no further.

Then, in the seventh, Wheeler drove a ball to the wall in right-center for a leadoff triple. The next hitter, Sorgi, lined a ball back to the circle, and Warren made the catch. She fired wildly to third in an attempt to catch Wheeler scrambling back, and the ball hit the fence and caromed toward the outfield in foul territory. But, Tolfree was backing up the play, and the CMU leftfielder threw home in time to get Wheeler attempting to score. When rightfielder Lorimer tracked down a liner off the bat of pinch-hitter Simmons, Warren and the Chippewas had the win.

Warren allowed a run and six hits in her complete-game win, striking out seven. Miller, for her part, gave up only one earned run in the game, with four strikeouts. Neither Miller nor Warren walked a batter in the game.

At the plate, both Giammarino and Raker were 2-for-3 for the Falcons, with Giammarino driving in BG's lone run. Schrock was 0-for-2, but reached base three times in the game and scored BG's lone run.

Maison Kalina was 3-for-3 to lead CMU, while Underwood had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI.

The Falcons and Chippewas are scheduled to conclude their weekend series with a single game on Saturday afternoon (March 25). That contest is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. at Margo Jonker Stadium.