Homers by Wheeler & Raker Not Enough as RedHawks Rally for 5-4 Win

Wednesday, April 12

Oxford, OH

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

20-23, 6-6

Miami

21-16, 7-5

Bowling Green

Miami

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

Homers by Wheeler & Raker Not Enough as RedHawks Rally for 5-4 Win

April 12, 2017 | Softball

Box Score

Unearned run proves to be the difference Wednesday afternoon

By: OXFORD, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Homers by freshman Kendyl Wheeler and redshirt junior Chelsea Raker were not quite enough, as host Miami scored four times in the fourth inning to rally past the Bowling Green State University softball team, 5-4, Wednesday afternoon (April 12). The Mid-American Conference game was held at the Miami Softball Stadium.

Wheeler walloped a pitch from MU starter Shannon Hohman for a two-run shot in the second inning, as BG scored three times. And, Raker led off the fifth inning with a solo blast against Carly Mortensen, the second of three RedHawk pitchers.

But, in between the two dingers, MU got on the board in the third inning, then took the lead in the fourth.

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BGSU outhit Miami, 8-5, on Wednesday. All four of BG's runs crossed the plate via extra-base hits, as a double by senior Haley Schrock plated BG's third run in the second inning. But, walks led to runs in the MU fourth, as four RedHawks reached first via a base on balls in that frame. And, MU's final run came on an error.

"Big innings provide a momentum shift in the game," said BGSU head coach Sarah Willis. "Clearly, we had the momentum in our favor at the beginning. Kendyl Wheeler hit a great shot, but we also had good hitting throughout the lineup, and we were moving baserunners and making things happen.

"At the end of the day, defense is what wins games. Things like making plays behind the pitchers, and the pitchers challenging and being aggressive through the zone, are the things that have contributed to our recent victories.

"But, their big inning today started because we struggled to find the zone and gave up too many walks, for one reason or another. And, we gave up a pair of 0-2 hits that led to runs, and lost by one. If we don't do that, and we make a few smarter pitches when we're way ahead in the count, we probably come out on top today."

The Falcons got first-inning singles from sophomore Alex Sorgi and redshirt junior Aspen Searle, sandwiched around a walk to Schrock. But, a runner caught stealing, an infield popup and a fly ball to right ended that threat.

In the second, however, BG broke on top. Junior Katee Hinkle's liner was caught at the edge of the warning track in dead center, but senior Sami Parave hit a flare that sailed over the MU third baseman and landed on the left-field line. Hohman struck out the next batter, but Wheeler turned on a high pitch and clubbed a ball over the wall in right. The blast hit the roof of the MU Softball Stadium hitting facility beyond the wall and bounced back into the field of play.

The homer was the first of Wheeler's collegiate career.

The next batter, Sorgi, reached on what would have been a close play at first. The sophomore hit a roller that was fielded by Hohman, but the MU pitcher's throw to first base was dropped, and Sorgi was safe. Then, Schrock hit a ball over the head of Miami centerfielder Jenna Jones for a double, with Sorgi coming all the way around to score.

Mortensen replaced Hohman in the circle to begin the third inning, and junior Laine Simmons singled to right-center with one down. Hinkle's sacrifice bunt moved pinch-runner Makayla Wood to second base, but Jones made a sliding catch of Parave's drive to right-center for the third out.

Meanwhile, BGSU sophomore pitcher Meredith Miller set down the first six RedHawks she faced, but Lauren Anderson began the third inning with a double down the left-field line. Anderson's hit was Miami's only extra-base hit in the RedHawks' three games vs. BG this season.

MU pinch-runner Kara Leckinger took second on a sac bunt, but Miller got Jones to hit a popup that second baseman Hinkle grabbed for the second out. The next hitter, Michaela Schlattman, got her team on the board with a two-out single that allowed Leckinger to come around and score.

BG threatened again in the fourth. Sophomore Kiley Sosby was hit by a 3-2 pitch, and Wheeler's line-drive single up the middle moved pinch-runner Taylor Blevins to second. Mortensen got a strikeout and a popup, however, then engaged in an epic battle with Searle.

With two out and two on, Searle fouled off eight pitches during a 13-pitch at-bat. The redshirt junior hit the 13th pitch back up the middle, but Mortensen got a glove on the ball, deflecting it toward second baseman Eryn McCarver. McCarver was able to field it and fire to first just in time to get the third out.

MU drew five walks in Wednesday's game, and four came in the fourth frame. The first two batters reached base before a Megan Wurts sac bunt put her two teammates in scoring position. Another walk, however, loaded the bases, and the next batter drew a free pass as well, plating a run.

Then, pinch-hitter Rylee Whispel singled to score two runs and give the RedHawks the lead. Jones reached on an infield single, as BG relief pitcher Brooke Parker fielded the ball and elected to look the runner back to third rather than throw to first.

With the bases loaded, a Schlattman grounder was fielded by shortstop Searle, who threw home to force the runner attempting to score. McCarver followed with a grounder that glanced off of the glove of a BG infielder. One run scored on the play, but Searle grabbed the deflected ball and threw home in plenty of time to gun down the runner attempting to score from second. The Falcons were out of the inning, but the RedHawks had a two-run lead.

Raker, though, wasted little time in cutting BG's deficit in half. She crushed a Mortensen offering, with the ball landing well beyond the left-field wall. Raker's sixth homer of the season made it a 5-4 game, but the Falcons would draw no closer.

Hinkle reached base after being hit by a pitch not once, but twice. Hinkle was plunked with a 2-1 offering, but the plate umpire ruled that the Falcon junior had not made an attempt to get out of the way. Several pitches later, however, another pitch struck Hinkle, who this time was permitted to trot down to first.

A fielder's-choice grounder, however, resulted in an out at second, and another grounder ended the inning.

In the bottom of the inning, Miami loaded the bases with one out on an error, a hit and a walk. But, Parker got Anderson to hit a grounder to Searle, who threw home to get Johniann Wahl, and the BG pitcher then got Haeley Tran to hit an inning-ending popup.

Kelsey Fredericks, the third Miami pitcher on the day, set down the Falcons in order, although Schrock and Raker each gave the hosts a scare. Schrock lined a ball down the left-field line, but foul, before hitting a liner that was caught in center to end the BG sixth. Then, with one down in the seventh, Raker hit a ball to deep left field for the second time in as many at-bats. This time, however, the ball was caught on the track. Fredericks retired the next batter to lock down the win.

Mortensen picked up the victory with 2 1/3 innings of one-run, three-hit relief. Fredericks retired all eight batters she faced to earn the save. For the Falcons, Miller took the loss, throwing 3 1/3 innings. Parker allowed three hits in 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Wheeler was the lone player with a multiple-hit game, as the freshman went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two batted in.

"We were right there with a chance to win the game today, and it's important for us to continue to stay hungry heading into this weekend," said Willis.

BGSU will return home this weekend, taking on the University at Buffalo in a three-game series. The Falcons and Bulls are slated to play a single game on Friday (April 14), beginning at 3:00 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. Saturday (April 15) doubleheader at Meserve Field.