Falcons Top EMU, 3-1, to Complete Weekend Sweep

Sunday, April 9

Bowling Green, OH

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

20-22, 6-5

Eastern Michigan

14-22, 2-9

Eastern Michigan

Bowling Green

Aspen Searle v EMU - April 9 2017 - Larry Clapper photo

Aspen Searle crosses the plate with the Falcons' third run on Sunday (photo by Larry Clapper)

Photo by: Larry Clapper

April 09, 2017 | Softball

Box Score

BGSU matches last season's MAC win total less than halfway through the conference schedule

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team rallied from an early deficit, scoring three times in the fourth inning to post a 3-1 win over Eastern Michigan University Sunday afternoon (April 9). The win capped off BGSU's sweep of the teams' three-game series at Meserve Field.

With the win, the Falcons have matched the team's Mid-American Conference win total for all of last year. BGSU is 20-22 overall, and the Falcons have a 6-5 MAC record with one game remaining in the first half of the conference schedule. Last year, BG finished with an overall record of 18-36 and a MAC mark of 6-17.

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With the victory, BGSU moved over the .500 mark in MAC play for the first time since early in the 2015 season.

Seven different Falcons had one hit apiece in Sunday's win, while sophomore Meredith Miller picked up her second complete-game win in as many days. Miller, who fired a shutout in Saturday's opener, allowed just one run and six hits in her Sunday victory. She threw 77 of her 106 pitches for strikes and improved to 11-5 on the season.

"It was important for us to come out and get this win today to complete the sweep," said BGSU head coach Sarah Willis. "It gives our athletes confidence to know that they can be consistent and string some positive performances together. And, they should be confident, because our staff has seen the ability they have all year long."

As was the case in each of Saturday's wins over the Eagles, the Falcons scored in just one inning on Sunday. Five of BG's seven hits, all singles, came in the third inning. Sophomore Alex Sorgi led off the inning with a perfect bunt toward third base, reaching first base without a throw. Senior Haley Schrock followed with an infield single, and redshirt junior Aspen Searle's grounder found a hole in the left side of the infield, reaching the outfield grass as Sorgi advanced to third base and Schrock took second.

Redshirt junior Chelsea Raker was up next, and promptly singled up the middle to score both Sorgi and Schrock and chase EMU starting pitcher Trisha Trujillo.

"We knew that we had to come out strong and ready to compete today," said Raker. "I wish we had been a little sharper and scored a few more runs today, because (Eastern) really battled, and they were in it with us the entire time. But, our defense played well, Meredith pitched well and our offense was able to play some little ball and come away with the win."

The next BG batter, junior Laine Simmons, greeted reliever Nicolle Miranda with a blooper that landed just inside the left-field line in shallow left, loading the bases once again. Miranda got the first out of the inning on a fly ball to shallow right, but junior Katee Hinkle hit a ball down the left-field line. The Eagles' Lucy Lopez ventured into foul territory to make the catch, but Searle was able to tag from third and score easily, giving the Falcons a 2-1 lead.

And, Miller and the BG defense would make that lead hold up. Miller had allowed a run in the top of the second, but after Lopez singled to begin the third, the Falcon sophomore retired nine-straight batters. Miller ended the third inning by striking out EMU cleanup hitter Michelle Kriegshauser on three pitches, then fanned the first two hitters of the fourth frame.

Eastern's second-inning run came on a Kriegshauser double and a pair of bunts. Olivia Logan sacrificed Kriegshauser to third, and she scored on a well-executed squeeze play, with Ariana Chretien laying down a bunt toward the circle and Kriegshauser sliding home with the game's first run.

Chretien reached second on the play after the bunt was mishandled, and Haley Hostetler followed by drawing a one-out walk. But, Miller proceeded to strike out the next hitter, Danielle Rico, on just three pitches, before Sam Saporito grounded out to short.

After that Lopez single in the third, the Eagles would not get another baserunner until Taylor Wagner singled to begin the sixth. Wagner was the only player on either team with a multiple-hit game, going 2-for-3 to raise her batting average to .429.

One out later, a BG error allowed Kriegshauser to reach base with Wagner taking second. Miller got Logan to loft a fly ball to right-center, with Wagner tagging and reaching third. But, with runners at the corners, Miller struck out Chretien for the second time in the game, ending the threat.

Other than the third inning, BGSU had only three baserunners on Sunday. Sorgi reached on an error in the first inning, but the Falcons could not advance the runner any further. In the second, Hinkle walked with one out, and sophomore Kiley Sosby singled, but Trujillo got an inning-ending grounder.

Freshman Kendyl Wheeler singled to begin the fourth, but a popup was followed by a double-play grounder.

Miranda retired the Falcons in order in both the fifth and the sixth, but Miller allowed only a one-out single to Rico in the seventh. After pinch-runner Alex Peters stole second, Miller struck out Saporito, and Lopez lifted a foul pop toward the left side, with third baseman Schrock making the catch near the BGSU dugout for the final out.

The Falcons have won four games in a row, tying a season high. BGSU has allowed only three runs (just two earned) in those four games.

"There have been some unpredictable games and series around the MAC, and it's been very interesting so far this year," said Willis. "But, we just talk about the 'controllables.' What we can control is the series that we're in and the game that we're in. We're just trying to focus on one inning at a time and making the plays we need to make.

"Getting a win and a series sweep is a great confidence-booster for our team, and hopefully we can carry this momentum into Wednesday's game."

BGSU hits the road for a midweek matchup with Miami, taking on the RedHawks in a Wednesday (April 12) single game in Oxford. The Falcons and 'Hawks are tied for second place in the MAC's East Division, a game behind first-place Ohio. Then, the Orange and Brown will return home for a three-game weekend series with Buffalo, beginning with a single game on Friday (April 14).